MARION  EEID-GiRMDOT 


;h 


/ 


With  a  quick  turn  in  the  air,  he  landed  with  his  head  pointing  in 
the  direction  his  tail  had  been  but  a  second  before. 


STEVE   OF    THE 
"BAR-G"  RANCH 


A  ThriUing  Story  of  Life 
on  the  Plains  of  Colorado 


By 
MARION  REID-GIRARDOT 


HEARST'S  INTERNATIONAL  LIBRARY  CO. 
NEW  YORK  1915 


Copyright,  i9T4> 

BY 

Marion  Reid-Girardot 


ni 


Dedicated 

TO 

MY  HUSBAND 

whose  many  adventures  on  the 

Plains  furnish  much  of  the  material  for 

this  story. 


MSi8948 


PREFACE 

This  book  is  a  mixture  of  facts  and  fiction,  and  my 
motive  in  writing  it  is  much  the  same  as  that  which 
prompts  an  artist ^  who  seeing  a  splendid  hit  of  color- 
ing in  the  sky,  works  feverishly  to  transfer  it  to  can- 
vas before  it  is  lost  forever. 

The  story  is  not  a  biography  of  any  one  person  or 
persons.  I  have  simply  combined  characters  and  inci- 
dents as  I  saw  fit.  Some  of  the  people  I  created,  but 
most  of  them  are  taken  from  life,  and  can  be  met  in 
a  day's  ride  from  Denver. 

However,  most  of  the  incidents  actually  occurred, 
and  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  which  the  cowboys 
encountered  as  they  followed  their  hazardous  occupa- 
tion. They  lived  strenuous,  busy  lives,  but  through  it 
all  kept  a  refreshing  boyishness,  which  enabled  them 
to  look  death  in  the  face  with  cheerfulness,  and  when 
they  met  a  maiden  to  their  liking,  to  woo  her  with 
impetuosity. 

In  the  cities,  constant  rubbing  of  elbows  smooths 
down  the  rough  edges,  and  brings  about  a  certain 
sameness  in  characteristics.  One  person  becomes 
much  like  his  neighbor.  But  on  the  Plains,  there  zvas 
room  for  growth.  Each  was  able  to  maintain  his  own. 
individuality.  Strong  characters  were  developed,  and 
many  acquired  peculiarities  of  manner  and  speech, 
which  were  good-naturedly  ridiculed,  but  genially 
tolerated. 


/  use  the  past  teiise  in  writing  this  preface,  for  in 
the  brief  time  I  have  known  the  West,  I  have  seen 
the  Range  close  in,  and  the  picturesque,  rollicking 
cowboy,  replaced  by  the  staid,  plodding  homesteader, 
I  have  seen  the  Plains,  barren  since  time  began,  rolling 
in  majestic  splendor  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
scarred  and  disHgnred  in  attempts  to  wring  from  its 
reluctant  bosom,  nourishment  for  meagre  crops  of 
grain. 

Wire  fences  nozv  crisscross  its  surface,  and  instead 
of  sleek  cattle  gracing  by  thousands  in  zvell-fed  con- 
tenment,  here  and  there  a  bleak,  makeshift  claim 
shanty,  mars  its  beauty. 

I  suppose  this  is  progress,  and  as  such  I  should  not 
decry  it.  Time,  like  a  watchful  policeman  who 
guards  an  open  thoroughfare,  has  called  to  the  cow- 
boy, ''Move  on!  Make  way  for  the  procession  which 
follows!'  To  the  cowman  this  has  meant  annihilation, 
as  there  was  no  place  to  go.  Some  few  stubborn  ones, 
unwilling  to  yield,  have  retreated  to  the  fastnesses  of 
the  mountains,  and  there  on  the  forest  reserves  their 
herds  develop  agility  as  they  search  for  food.  Many 
unable  to  adjust  themselves  have  retired  and  moved  to 
the  city,  either  selling  their  ranches  or  turning  them 
over  to  their  children,  leaving  the  younger  generation 
to  cope  with  the  new  conditions. 

But  as  the  heavily-laden  wagon  of  the  settlers  comes 
groaning  and  creaking  up  to  our  door,  the  driver 
trudging  wearily  by  its  side,  urging  on  his  exhausted 
horses,  I  sigh  for  a  glimpse  of  the  gallant  riders  who 
with  jingling  spurs  and  flapping  sombreros,  dashed 
recklessly  into  view,  and  then  drawing  rein,  with  re- 
spectful salutation  and  quiet  mariner,  proffer  their  re- 
quest or  make  known  their  errand. 

Suddenly  realizing  that  their  day  had  passed,  and  a 

ii 


bit  of  romantic  history  was  passing  with  them,  I  at- 
tempted this  book,  and  if  the  reader  does  not  feel  the 
lure  of  the  West,  and  the  charm  of  life  on  the  Plains, 
it  will  be  because  I  have  failed  in  my  effort  to  depict 
it,  and  not  because  either  is  dull  or  uninteresting.  For 
the  lure  is  there.  I  feel  it  with  every  breath  I  draw; 
in  every  rare  glimpse  of  startled  antelope  bounding  off 
across  the  prairie,  or  distant  view  of  a  skidking  coyote 
slinking  silently  to  cover. 


Ill 


•  CONTENTS 

Page 

I,    Enter  Woman  Number  One 7 

II.    Lost  in  a  March  Blizzard 33 

III.  The  Last  Great  Horse  Round-Up 43 

IV.  Enter  Woman  Number  Two 74 

V.    Fourth  of  July 78 

VI.   Draining  the  Lake 103 

VII.    Chasing  the  Cattle  Thieves  from  Cover.  .108 

VIII.    Miss  Parker  Makes  a  Pie 123 

IX.    Coyote  Chase   133 

X.    Steve  Sells  Some  Cattle 142 

XI.    The  Accident 150 

XII.    Camping  in  the  Mountains  164 

XIIL    The  Eagle 174 

XIV.    They  Go  a  Berrying  and  Find  a  Bear. . .  .  180 

XV.     The  Proposal  on  the  Summit 185 

XVII.    The  Beef  Round-up 203 

XVIII.    Steve  Gets  a  Letter 212 

XIX.    Miss  Little  Proposes 218 

XX.    Miss  Parker  and  Reggie  Become  Engaged  228 
XXI.    They  Start  East  With  the  Polo  Ponies. .  .240 

XXII.  Steve  Plays  a  Game  of  Polo 245 

XXIII.  They  Capture  the  Horse  Thieves 262 

XXIV.  Flint  Sends  a  Telegram 274 

XXV.    Blackie  Escapes 279 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE     % 

It  was  only  a  simple  puzzle,  composed  of  a  single 
link  of  chain  about  two  inches  long,  which  contained 
a  star  with  six  points  of  different  lengths,  so  placed 
that  it  was  quite  difficult  to  separate  one  from  the 
other;  but  in  the  hands  of  little  Miss  Little,  the  new 
teacher,  it  had  a  drawing  power,  more  potent  than  the 
strongest  magnet.  Blackie  had  shown  it  to  her  as  the 
strains  of  the  waltz  died  away,  and  she  stopped  where 
she  was  and  coquettishly  pretended  to  become  intensely 
absorbed  in  its  solution.  Immediately  there  was  a 
cluster  of  black-coated  figures  about  her,  and  only  a 
glimpse  of  her  pink  dress,  which  could  be  seen  here 
and  there,  indicated  to  the  rest  what  was  the  center 
of  attraction. 

Miss  Little  was  pretty  and  no  one  was  more  cog- 
nizant of  the  fact  than  she.  Her  merry  blue  eyes, 
dark  hair  and  saucy  wit,  bespoke  an  Irish  ancestry. 
She  had  been  a  coquette  from  the  cradle,  and  now 
found  the  susceptible  cowboys  easy  victims  to  her 
wiles. 

"Pshaw !  I  can  not  remove  the  star,  and  it  looks  so 
simple.  Can  you  do  it.'^''  asked  she,  looking  at  Steve 
with  an  innocent,  appealing  glance. 

"Yes,"  answered  he.  "But  this  is  our  dance  111 
show  you  how  the  next  intermission." 

"Oh,  thank  you,"  breathed  she  gratefully, 

"Steve  looked  at  her  with  a  shade  of  suspicion  in  his 
eyes,  but  she  was  all  guileless  innocence.     She  noted 

7 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

the  glance,  however,  and  said  to  herself:  "ITl  have 
to  be  careful.  He  is  pretty  astute,  and  will  not  stand 
much  trifling."  When  the  dance  was  over  Steve  solved 
the  puzzle  for  her,  which  like  all  others  was  very  easy 
once  you  knew  how,  and  then  watched  her  with  a 
lurking  admiration  in  his  eyes,  as  she  daintily  manip- 
ulated it,  trying  to  put  it  back  togetlMier;  which  was 
just  as  hard  as  taking  it  apart.  She  looked  up  with 
a  sigh  of  relief  when  Ira  claimed  her  for  the  next 
two-step. 

"Fm  so  glad  of  an  excuse  for  not  worrying  over 
that  horrid  puzzle.  I  am  afraid  Mr.  Gardeau  will 
think  I  am  very  stupid,  as  I  could  not  do  it  after  he 
showed  me  how,  and  as  he  is  president  of  the  School 
Board,  it  would  never  do  for  him  to  get  that  im- 
pression." 

"Geel  Old  Steve  always  was  lucky.  Has  all  the 
girls  comin'  to  him  lookin'  for  schools.  Gets  the  ad- 
vantage of  all  us  other  fellows.  Think  I'll  try  and 
get  on  the  School  Board  in  our  district.  If  I  do, 
the  prettiest  girl  gets  the  place." 

"Make  a  sort  of  beauty  contest  of  it  I  am  so  glad 
you  told  me  for  I  shall  not  apply,  now  that  I  know 
the  qualifications." 

"If  you  do,  I  won't  look  at  any  of  the  rest.  Bum 
up  their  letters  as  soon  as  I  get  them,"  said  he  gal- 
lantly. "And  talkin'  of  applications,  reminds  me  that 
I'm  a  goin'  to  apply  right  now  to  take  you  to  the  next 
dance." 

"Well,  you  are  a  little  late,"  stated  Miss  Little,  de- 
murely. "Both  Mr.  Steve  and  his  brother  are  ahead 
of  you." 

"Which  one  are  you  goin'  with?"  inquired  Ira. 

"I  do  not  know.  I  believe  I  will  wait  until  all  the 
applications  are  in,  and  then  use  your  method  of  select- 
ing a  schoolma'am.     Go  with  the  best  looking  one." 

8 


ENTER  WOMAIT  NUMBER  ONE 

"Here  you  Steve/'  called  Ira.  "Miss  Little  says 
you  and  Blackie  have  both  asked  her  to  go  to  the 
next  dance,  and  I  have,  too.  She  says  she  is  goin'  with 
the  best  lookin'  one.  Now,  who  do  you  think  is  goin' 
to  win?" 

"You  sure  don't  think  it's  goin'  to  be  you,  do  you  ?" 
inquired  Steve,  laughing.  "We'll  just  decide  that  ques- 
tion right  now.  Here  boys,  line  up.  Miss  Little  says 
she  will  go  to  the  dance  with  the  best  lookin'  one,"  " 

"No,  do  not  trouble.  I  do  not  believe  I  will  decide 
that  way,"  objected  she,  somewhat  confused.  "I'll  go 
with  the  one  of  you  three  that  is  the  first  to  arrive." 

"Well,  I'll  just  go  over  there  and  camp,"  resolved 
Steve.     "You  are  stayin'  at  my  sister's." 

"I'm  goin'  over  and  ask  Bill  Col  well  for  a  job  to- 
morrow," observed  Ira. 

"He  won't  hire  you.  I'll  work  for  him  for  nothing," 
said  Blackie. 

"No,  that  will  not  do,"  objected  Miss  Little,  merrily. 
"You  boys  will  have  to  turn  it  into  a  race.  All  meet 
some  place  and  start  at  the  same  time." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Steve,  nothing  loth.  "We'll  make 
it  a  novelty  race.  It's  two  miles  and  a  half  from  our 
house  to  my  sister's.  We'll  start  from  our  place  ar 
seven  o'clock,  and  walk  our  horses  the  first  mile;  trot 
them  the  second  mile,  and  run  them  the  last  half." 

"Who  will  be  judges,"  inquired  Ira,  interestedly. 

"There  will  not  be  any  judges  needed,"  stated 
Blackie.  "There  is  only  one  place  to  cross  that  gulch 
which  runs  between  our  place  and  Colwell's,  and  that 
is  at  the  road.  The  one  that  reaches  that  ford  first 
will  win,  as  it  is  only  a  little  ways  from  the  house  and 
only  room  for  one  to  cross  at  a  time.  The  rest  will 
have  to  follow  single  file." 

"That's  so,"  assented  Ira.  "There's  liable  to  be  a 
mix-up  there;" 

9 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

•*Oh,  I  hope  none  of  you  get  hurt,'*  exclaimed  Miss 
Little,    "I  never  thought  of  there  being  any  danger/' 

'TDon't  you  worry  any  about  that  Danger  is  what 
we  thrive  on,"  said  Steve,  recklessly. 

When  Mrs.  Colwell  heard  of  the  plan  she  was  filled 
with  anxiety,  and  with  feminine  intuition,  gave  a  very 
accurate  forecast  of  the  outcome. 

"I  do  not  like  it  at  all,"  observed  she  to  her  hus- 
band "Why  can't  she  decide  which  one  she  wants  to 
go  with  and  end  the  matter?  She  has  no  right  to 
come  out  here  and  stir  up  strife  among  my  brothers." 

"It  won't  stir  up  any  strife,  mother.  They  are  all 
taking  it  as  a  joke,  and  are  more  interested  in  the  race 
than  they  are  in  the  girl,"  spoke  Colwell,  v^ith  true 
masculine  obtuseness. 

"That  may  be  so  now,  but  you  know  there  has  al- 
ways been  a  rivalry  between  Steve  and  Blackie,  which 
has  been  more  or  less  friendly  up  to  now,  but  it  will 
be  different  once  a  woman  comes  on  the  scene.  They'll 
both  try  to  w^in  her  just  to  get  ahead  of  the  other, 
if  for  no  other  reason ;  but  she  is  pretty  enough  to  make 
any  of  the  boys  fall  in  love  with  her  and  just  clever 
enough  to  have  fotmd  out  how  things  are  between 
Steve  and  Blackie." 

"Well,  let's  not  borrow  trouble.  She  probably  will 
not  marry  either  one  of  them.  She  seems  mighty 
anxious  about  gettin'  letters  every  mail  day.  Maybe 
she's  already  engaged," 

"Engaged!"  exdaimed  Mrs,  Colwell  with  much 
scorn,  "Why  she  has  pictures  of  half  a  dozen  differ- 
ent young  men  on  her  dresser.  And  even  if  she  was 
engaged  do  you  think  it  would  keep  her  from  amusing 
herself  with  Steve  and  Blackie?  It's  like  a  cat  play- 
ing with  a  mouse.  She  does  not  mean  to  be  cruel.  She 
is  simply  following  her  instincts.     Miss  Little  is  one 

10 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

of  those  soft,  kissable  sort  of  girls,  with  appealing, 
helpless  ways  that  are  very  attractive  to  men.  So  is  a 
cat's  paw  soft  until  you  feel  its  claws." 

**Well,  I  suppose  they've  got  it  comin'  to  them," 
Colwell  philosophically  remarked.  "If  she  doesn't 
deal  them  misery  some  other  woman  will.  No  matter 
who  either  one  of  them  took  a  fancy  to,  the  other 
would  try  to  cut  him  out." 

When  Saturday  evening  came  Steve,  Ira  and 
Blackie,  all  ready  to  start,  lined  up  outside  the  gate 
at  the  " — G"  Ranch.  The  autumn  twilight  was  just 
coming  on  and  they  would  have  ample  time  to  reach 
their  destination,  i.e.,  the  Colwell  Ranch,  before  night. 
Each  had  a  light-top  buggy  with  a  single  horse  hitched 
to  it.  They  did  not  draw  for  places  as  they  had  the 
whole  prairie  before  them  for  a  track.  No  one  cared 
to  follow  the  road,  which  wound  around  more  or  less„ 
Promptly,  at  seven  at  a  shout  from  Pere  Gardeau,  they 
set  off. 

Now,  Steve  had  the  knack  of  training  all  his  saddle 
horses  to  travel  in  a  fast  walk,  which  carried  them 
over  the  ground  quickly,  and  was  much  easier  on  both 
man  and  beast,  on  a  long  trip,  than  breaking  from  a 
walk  to  a  trot  or  gallop  and  then  lapsing  back  to  the 
original  pace,  as  most  saddle  horses  do ;  so  he  selected 
a  horse  called  ''Kentucky  Jim"  which  was  broken  to 
drive,  and  a  descendant  of  a  thoroughbred  Kentucky 
dam  and  a  sire  of  old  Revenue  stock.  He  was  long, 
and  lank  and  homely,  but  fast  in  all  his  gaits.  Blackie 
had  a  horse  which  was  equally  fast,  while  Ira  was  driv- 
ing a  blooded  trotting  mare  belonging  to  old  Man  Mil- 
ton, which  he  thought  would  put  him  away  ahead  on 
the  second  mile  and  give  him  a  good  start  for  the 
run,  but  he  miscalculated.  The  mare  fell  far  behind 
in  the  walking  contest  and  what  she  made  up  on  the 
trotting  stretch  was  quickly  lost  when  they  started 

11 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

to  run.  This  left  Blackie  and  Steve  racing  neck  and 
neck  across  the  prairie;  bouncing  over  cactus  beds, 
bumping  over  soap-weeds  and  prairie-dog  holes, 
straight  as  the  crow  flies  to  the  Colwell  Ranch.  Each 
bent  upon  making  the  crossing  before  the  other,  and 
as  Steve  began  to  close  in  toward  the  road,  Blackie 
reached  out  and  struck  Kentucky  Jim  with  his  whip 
and  made  him  lunge  aside. 

"Well,  keep  the  road,  damn  you,"  exclaimed  Steve, 
and  using  his  own  whip,  drove  straight  for  the  almost 
perpendicular  banks  of  the  gulch. 

"Hold  on,  you  fool!"  yelled  Blackie.  "You  can't 
cross  there."  But  he  was  too  late.  The  horse  checked 
his  wild  run  instantly  on  the  edge  of  the  gulch,  and 
then,  fairly  sitting  on  his  haunches,  slid  down  the  steep 
bank  and  clambered  up  the  other  side.  The  buggy 
careened  and  rocked  about,  but  stood  the  strain,  and 
old  Jim  lined  out  for  one  of  his  famous  home-stretch 
runs. 

Miss  Little  and  the  Colwell  family  were  out  to  wit- 
ness the  finish  of  the  race,  and  as  Steve  drove  up  the 
children  danced  up  and  down,  delightedly  exclaiming : 
"Uncle  Steve  won!  Uncle  Steve  won!"  and  were 
quickly  up  in  the  buggy  beside  him,  twining  their  arms 
around  his  neck  and  kissing  him.  But  Steve,  like  the 
knights  of  old,  looked  beyond  them  for  reward  in  the 
smiles  of  his  lady,  and  these,  Miss  Little  knew  so  well 
to  give.  However,  when  Blackie  arrived,  she  managed 
subtilly  to  convey  to  him  that  she  wished  he  had  been 
the  winner. 

As  they  drove  off  to  the  dance  Ira  and  Blackie  fol- 
lowed closely  to  act  as  chaperones,  as  they  claimed. 

"You  need  not  bother,"  remarked  Miss  Little,  mis- 
chievously. "A  school-teacher  does  not  need  a  chap- 
crone.  We  are  used  to  making  small  boy^  behave,  and 
you  know  a  man  is  only  a  boy  grown  talL" 

12 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

At  the  dance  Blackie  approached  Miss  Little  and 
putting  on  an  injured  air,  said: 

"You  didn't  play  fair  in  that  race.  There  ought 
to  have  been  more  than  one  prize.  We  always  have 
a  second  prize  in  our  races  out  here." 

*'There  was  always  a  third  prize  in  all  the  races  I 
ever  ran,"  stated  Ira. 

•^Had  to  be,  if  you  won,  didn't  they?"  inquired  Steve, 
with  good-natured  sarcasm. 

"Well,  let's  see,"  mused  Miss  Little.  "I  must  follow 
the  rules.  That  is  what  I  teach  the  children.  I  am  just 
crazy  about  riding  horseback,"  said  she  brightly,  "and 
Mr.  Colwell  hasn't  any  gentle  horses." 

"Just  the  thing,"  said  Blackie.  "I'll  come  and  take 
you  for  a  ride.    When  would  you  like  to  go?" 

"Next  Sunday  would  be  a  good  day." 

"It  will  be  next  Sunday  in  about  ten  minutes,** 
promptly  remarked  Blackie,  looking  at  his  watch.  "So 
get  ready." 

"Oh,  I  meant  Sunday-a-week.  I'll  be  too  sleepy  to 
go  to-morrow." 

"Where  do  I  come  in  on  this  deal?  What  is  the 
third  prize?"  inquired  Ira. 

"Well,"  drawled  Miss  Little,  in  her  soft,  plaintive 
voice.  "I'll  be  home  Wednesday  eve,  if  you  care  tc 
call." 

Mrs.  Colwell  was  right  in  her  prediction.  The  race 
was  but  the  beginning  of  a  hotly  contested  suit  foi 
Miss  Little's  favor.  Blackie  rode  up  promptly  Sun- 
day afternoon,  followed  by  a  pack  of  hounds,  and  Miss 
Little  tripped  gaily  out  to  meet  him. 

"Oh,  you  brought  the  dogs,"  delightedly  exclaimed 
Bhe,    "Can  we  catch  a  coyote?" 

"We  can  if  we  can  find  one.  They  are  pretty  well 
hunted  oflF  the  range  around  here,  and  we  can't  go 
very  far  to  look  for  them,  as  you  are  not  tised  to  ridin'." 

13 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"I  do  hope  we  can  find  one,  as  I  am  always  reading, 
English  novels  in  which  the  heroine  is  a  superb  horse- 
woman and  rides  to  hounds.  It  seems  to  me  it  would 
be  great  fun.  Last  summer  when  I  was  East  every 
one  asked  me  about  chasing  coyotes  and  antelope,  and 
seemed  incredulous  when  I  told  them  I  had  never  hun- 
ted them.  They  seem  to  think  that  all  sorts  of  wild 
game  runs  through  the  streets  of  Denver,  and  nibbles 
the  front  lawns.  It  is  great  what  stories  one  can  make 
them  believe.  They  will  swallow  anything,  and  when  I 
found  they  were  so  gtillable  I  drew  on  my  imagination 
and  my,  what  hair-raising  pictures  I  described/'  said 
she,  laughing. 

"Yes,"  assented  Blackie.  "They  sure  think  we  are 
wild  and  wooly.  We  had  a  teacher  here  last  year 
who  came  out  from  the  East  for  her  health.  I  guess 
she  imagined  she  was  among  savages,  and  so  thought 
she  ought  to  act  accordin'!  The  first  night  she  sat 
down  to  the  table  my  mother  introduced  her  all  around 
and  she  never  took  her  eyes  off  her  plate  or  answered 
a  word.  As  soon  as  she  got  through  eatin'  she  made 
a  dive  for  her  room,  which  was  at  the  farthest  end 
of  the  house  and  stayed  there. 

"Us  boys,  when  wc  found  out  how  she  felt  about 
us  and  the  country  in  general,  took  out  all  the 
fire-arms  on  the  place  and  began  to  act  up  to  her  ideas 
of  the  West,  We  howled  and  screeched,  and  fired 
enough  shots  to  kill  a  regiment.  The  old  man  aidin' 
and  a-bettin'  us.  Finally  we  stuffed  a  suit  of  clothes 
with  straw  and  put  an  old  black  hat  on  it  and  stood 
it  outside  her  room  by  a  tree.  The  wind  was  blowin' 
hard,  so  it  fell  agin'  her  window,  and  she  saw  it. 

"She  thought  it  was  somebody  try  in'  to  get  in  and 
efot  out  a  revolver  she  had  brought  along  for  protection, 
I  guess,  and  started  to  shoot  it. 

*lf  it  had  been  a  man,  he  wouldn't  have  been  in 

U 


EKTEE  WOMAIT  NTJMBEE  ONB 

mttch  danger.  She  didn't  even  hit  the  window  most  of 
the  time,  but  filled  the  whole  side  of  the  wall  full  of 
holes.  My  mother  heard  her  shootin'  and  thought  it 
was  us  boys.  She  woke  my  father  and  told  him  to 
go  out  and  stop  us,  as  she  thought  we  was  carryin*  the 
joke  too  far.  The  girls  who  had  the  room  next  the 
teacher's  woke  up  and  began  to  call  to  her,  and  she 
was  so  excited  that  she  turned  the  gun  in  their  direc- 
tion and  commenced  to  shoot  at  them.  Guess  she'd 
be  shootin'  yet  if  she  hadn't  emptied  her  revolver  and 
didn't  know  how  to  load  it  again." 

"I  should  have  thought  she  would  have  left  next 
day?"  observed  Miss  Little  much  amused. 

"She  didn't  though.  She  stayed  on,  but  still  kept  to 
her  room  most  of  the  time  and  had  nothin'  to  say  at 
meals.  She  was  a  good  teacher,  though,  and  mighty  in- 
terested in  the  kid,"  mused  Blackie,  "Guess  she 
thought  she  was  doin'  missionary  work  for  she  started 
a  Sunday  school. 

"One  Saturday  she  asked  my  father  for  a  horsCr 
Said  she  wanted  to  go  to  Colwell's,  as  one  of  the 
children  was  sick.  There  wasn't  any  horse  up  that  was 
gentle  enough  for  her  to  drive,  so  my  father  told  her 
to  ride  the  pony  we  kept  in  the  barn  to  get  up  the 
cows. 

"She  never  rode  before  and  didn't  know  how  to 
guide  a  horse  and  that  little  bronc  was  just  sharp 
enough  to  know  it.  We'd  had  him  for  years  and 
when  my  youngest  brother  and  sister  was  little  we 
used  to  put  one  of  them  on  his  back  v/ith  only  a  halter, 
and  he  would  go  out  and  drive  up  the  milk  cows,  cut- 
tin'  them  out  from  any  others  in  the  pasture.  But  it 
was  too  early  to  get  the  cows  that  day  and  as  he  wan- 
dered over  the  pasture  he  came  upon  a  bunch  of  steers 
belongin'  to  the  next  ranch,  that  had  broke  through  the 
fence,  and  started  cuttin'  tliem  out" 

15 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"What  did  he  do  with  them  when  he  had  theni  sep* 
arated  from  the  rest?"  inquired  Miss  Little. 

"Oh,  he'd  cut  one  out  and  run  it  over  in  the  pasture 
a  Httle  ways  and  then  go  back  and  get  another  one. 
When  he  had  them  all  over  there  he*d  cut  them  again 
one  at  a  time  and  take  them  somewhere  else." 

"Why  didn't  she  get  off.''"  inquired  Miss  Little. 

"I  guess  he  kept  movin'  all  the  time  and  she  was 
afraid  to." 

"Couldn't  she  stop  him  or  anything?" 

"She  was  too  busy  holdin'  on,  I  suppose.  Anyway, 
she  didn't,  and  he  kept  workin'  that  bunch  of  steers 
over  all  afternoon  until  time  to  drive  up  the  cows ;  then 
he  cut  them  out  of  the  bunch  and  brought  them  home. 
Her  hair  was  flyin'  in  the  breeze  and  she'd  lost  her  hat 
and  hairpins  and  was  holdin'  to  the  saddle  horn  for 
dear  life  when  she  rode  up.     She  sure  was  a  sight." 

As  he  finished  speaking  he  turned  with  a  start  and 
uttered  a  shrill  whistle  to  the  dogs  and  ejaculated: 
"There's  a  coyote !" 

"Where?"  excitedly  asked  Miss  Little,  hastily  scan- 
ning the  prairie, 

"It's  gone  behind  the  hill,  now,"  answered  Blackie, 
and  spurring  his  horse  set  him  into  a  gallop,  watching 
Miss  Little  the  while  to  see  if  she  was  in  danger  of 
falling  off. 

"This  isn't  the  first  time  you've  been  on  a  horse," 
observed  he. 

"Oh,  no.  I  used  to  ride  a  lot  when  I  was  Httle,  and 
I  suppose  one  does  not  forget  how.  Why  are  the  dogs 
scattering?"  asked  she. 

"By  Gee,  they've  found  three  coyotes,"  exclaimed 
Blackie.  "They  must  have  surprised  them  while  they 
was  feedin'  on  some  dead  animal.  Yes,  there  is  a  dead 
cow  and  that  old  fox  hound  is  trailin'  one  all  by  him- 
sdf/' 

X6 


ENTER  WOMAj^  number  ONE 

"The  coyote  does  not  seem  to  be  much  afraid  of 
him.  What  makes  him  stop  and  look  back?  Is  he 
waiting  for  the  dog  to  catch  up?'*  asked  Miss  Little, 

"He  knows  the  hound  can't  kill  him  by  himself,  and 
I  guess  he  is  puzzled  over  him  yelpin'  that  way.  All 
these  other  dogs  run  silently,  and  tlie  coyote  doesn't 
know  what  to  make  of  it.  Them  other  two  coyotes 
ain't  losin'  any  time.  Let's  go  faster  and  overtake 
them  as  they  circle  around  the  next  hill.  The  dogs  will 
just  about  catch  'em  around  there." 

The  horses  needed  little  urging,  seeming  to  enjoy 
the  chase  as  much  as  the  dogs.  Miss  Little's  hair, 
which  was  hanging  in  a  long  braid  down  her  back 
and  twisted  into  a  tliick  curl  at  the  end,  came  loose 
and  floated  around  her ;  and  with  her  blue  eye  dancing 
with  excitement  and  scarlet  lips  parted,  she  looked  the 
embodied  spirit  of  the  wild,  free  life  of  the  plains. 
As  he  galloped  along  beside  her  Blackie  thrilled  with 
the  exultant  joy  of  being  alive,  while  a  fierce  desire 
for  possession  surged  through  him. 

Upon  reaching  the  brow  of  the  hill  a  frightful  timiult 
could  be  heard  and  the  whole  valley  seemed  to  he 
covered  with  a  whirling,  seething  mass  of  dogs  snap- 
ping, growling  and  snarling,  fighting  in  blind  fury ;  the 
coyote  limp  and  mangled,  being  torn  to  bits  between 
them. 

"There  won't  be  much  left  of  their  hides,"  observed 
Blackie. 

After  watching  them  awhile  they  called  the  dogs, 
who  reluctantly  left  their  helpless  prey,  and  rode  on. 
They  had  ridden  quite  a  way  when  they  heard  an 
occasional  faint  yelp,  and  looking  around  in  search  of 
the  cause,  they  descried  in  the  distance  two  specks 
which  appeared  on  tlie  crest  of  a  hill  and  then  dis- 
appeared on  the  other  side. 

"That  old  fox  hound  is  trailin*  that  coyote  yet,"  ex- 

IT 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

claimed  Blackie.  "And  they  both  run  like  they  was 
about  played  out.  Well  take  these  dogs  over  and  help 
him  kill  it"  Calling  them  they  spurred  their  horses 
and  soon  overtook  the  hound  and  made  short  work 
01  its  exhausted  pre}^ 

"Well,  that's  some  coyote  chase,"  remarked  Blackie. 
"You  have  some  tiling  to  tell  the  next  time  you  go  back 
East  and  you  needn't  strain  the  truth  either." 

"Well,  I  should  think  so.  I  never  was  so  excited 
in  my  life.  I'd  like  to  hunt  coyotes  all  the  time,"  re- 
marked Miss  Little. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  bad  sport  myself,  when  I've  got 
good  company,"  agreed  Blackie,  his  pulses  tinghng 
from  her  bright  glance  and  smile.  "But,  I  believe,  I 
like  dancing  better."  And  with  a  look  in  which  ten- 
derness gleamed  he  inquired :  "How  about  the  dance 
Saturday  night?" 

"I  have  promised  to  go  with  your  brother,"  an- 
swered she. 

"Damn  him,"  muttered  Blackie  between  his  teeth. 

"What  did  you  say?"  inquired  she. 

"Oh,  nothing.  Ill  be  'round  to  take  you  for  another 
hunt  next  Sunday,  if  you'd  like  to  go?" 

"Very  well,"  assented  she.  And  then  noting  his 
scowl  she  asked  impudently: 

"How  did  you  get  your  name?  I  notice  that  most 
of  the  nicknames  out  here  are  quite  appropriate,  but 
I  am  puzzled  to  know  whether  yours  is  a  compliment 
to  your  complexion  or  disposition." 

"Well,  I  guess  it  fits  both  pretty  well,"  answered 
he,  with  a  short  laugh.  "But  you  see  as  all  the  other 
children  had  either  red  or  very  light  hair,  my  black 
head  was  very  conspicuous,  and  they  jokingly  called 
me  "The  Black  Sheep,"  and  soon  that  was  shortened 
to  Blackie  and  that  name  stuck.  For  a  long  time  I  for- 
got I  had  any  other.    One  day  a  man  stopped  at  the 

18 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

ranch  and  asked  me  what  my  name  was  and  I  studied 
for  awhile  and  then  said : 

"Well,  it  ain't  Blackie,  but  I  don't  know  what  it 
is." 

"Do  you  know  what  it  is  now?"  asked  the  girl 
laughing. 

"Yes,  I  refresh  my  memory  by  goin'  in  and  lookin'  it 
up  in  the  family  bible,  where  mother  has  the  birthdays 
written  down-    I  was  christened  SamueL" 

Matters  went  along  in  that  way  all  winter.  First 
one  would  take  her  to  a  dance  or  for  a  ride  and  then 
the  other,  and  Miss  Little  played  with  them  both  with 
consummate  skill.  She  had  no  one  with  whom  she 
could  exchange  girlish  confidences  in  the  country,  so 
she  was  wont  to  write  voluminous  letters  to  her  bosom 
friend  and  chum  in  which  she  detailed  the  ins  and 
outs  of  her  love  affair,  which  to  girls  seems  to  be  an 
all-absorbing  topic 

My  dear  Antoinette:  Yes,  I  am  still  teaching  in 
the  country,  and  am  not  dead  of  ennui  as  you  sug- 
gest. They  say,  "Life  has  its  compensations"  and  ] 
find  it  is  true  of  the  country,  at  any  rate.  Of  course 
it  is  disagreeable  at  times,  and  I  hate  children — the 
horrid  grubby  little  things;  and  if  it  wasn't  for  mj 
two  handsome  cowboys  I  suppose  I  should  hav< 
given  it  up  long  ago.     They  are  the  compensations 

They  both  continue  to  be  my  most  devoted  slaves 
but  Steve  is  not  as  abject  as  I  should  like.  In  fact 
it  puzzles  me  at  times  to  determine  whether  his  at- 
tentiveness  springs  from  a  desire  to  outdo  hij 
brother  Blackie,  or  out  of  a  sincere  regard  for  my- 
self. I  can  hear  your  exclamation  of  (I  am  sur- 
prised that  her  vanity  will  permit  her  to  acknowledge 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

so  much).    But  you  know  a  good  general  does  not 
ignore  the  strength  of  the  enemy. 

Blackie  and  Steve  are  by  far  the  most  striking  per- 
sonalities among  the  cowboys.  The  latter  is  tall, 
straight,  supple  and  well  knit.  Has  broad  shoulders, 
deep  chest  and  the  tapering  hips  and  slender,  elastic 
muscles  of  the  athlete;  with  light,  slightly  waving 
hair  and  aquiline  features.  In  addition  he  has  a  mag- 
netic personality  that  draws  people  to  him  involun- 
tarily. He  is  always  in  the  limelight  If  it  is  races, 
he  has  the  fastest  horse.  If  it  is  a  bucking  contest, 
he  is  the  best  rider — ^with  Blackie  always  a  close 
second,  so  they  are  both  well  calculated  to  catch  and 
hold  the  feminine  eye. 

The  former  is  more  stockily  built  and,  as  his  name 
implies,  is  dark.  With  straight,  black  hair  like  an 
Indian's,  and  a  brooding,  vengeful  disposition.  When 
I  dance  with  some  one  else  he  stands  in  a  corner  and 
glowers  furiously,  and  I  can  feel  his  eyes  following 
me  about. 

I  was  much  puzzled  at  the  contrast  between  him 
and  Steve,  until  I  learned  that  they  were  not  really 
brothers.  It  seems  Blackie  is  an  orphan,  his  parents 
having  been  victims  of  Indian  massacre  in  the  early 
days.  He  is  only  a  month  or  two  younger  than 
Steve,  and  they  were  brought  up  as  twins.  But,  alas, 
for  the  theories  of  those  who  believe  that  environ- 
ment counts  for  more  than  heredity. 

Here  is  a  good  example  to  the  contrary.  No 
amount  of  training  or  outside  influence  could  make 
these  two  alike.  Nature,  the  grreat  sculptor,  has 
moulded  them  of  different  clay.  They  have  always 
been  rivals  in  everything  and  it  has  had  one  good  ef- 
fect: they  have  each  become  very  proficient  in  every 
way.  This  has  been  helped  along  by  them  having  to 
run  the  ranch  and  look  after  the  stock  since  they 

20 


ENTEE  WOMAN  NUMBEE  ONE 

were  mere  boys,  as  their  father  became  almost  blind 
and  the  eldest  brother  died,  so  all  the  responsibility 
fell  upon  their  shoulders. 

It  seems  that  Steve  is  the  trader  and  business  man, 
while  Blackie  looks  after  the  ranch.  So  you  see  the 
situation  and  that  I  am  likely  to  have  a  very  exciting 
time  before  I  am  through. 

A  number  of  children  out  here  are  named  "Steve/* 
and  now  and  then  I  hear  of  a  race  horse  that  is 
called  "Little  Steve,"  or  "Big  Steve."  One  day  I 
asked  him  how  that  name  happened  to  be  so  i;>opu- 
lar  and  he  had  the  audacity  to  tell  me: 

"Oh,  when  anybody  gets  anything  good  out  here 
they  call  it  'Steve.'  '*  There  speaks  the  ego.  So  you 
need  not  worry  over  my  trifling  with  his  young  affec- 
tions.   I  fancy  a  lesson  in  humility  will  do  him  good. 

However,  I  am  not  so  sure  that  I  am  going  to  be 
able  to  administer  it.  Blackie  has  long  been  at  my 
feet  and  only  needs  a  little  encouragement  to  pre- 
cipitate matters,  but  this  I  wish  to  avoid,  as  it  is 
much  more  fun  to  keep  them  dangling.  But  if  I  do 
not  bring  Steve  to  subjection  I  shall  consider  my 
winter  as  wasted,  and  that  I  am  becoming  passe. 

And  now,  my  dear,  enough  of  myself.  I  am  dying 
to  know  how  you  are  progressing  in  your  love  af- 
fairs; do  be  sure  and  give  me  a  full  account  in  your 
next  letter,  and  answer  soon. 

Yours,  as  ever, 

**Jackonettr'' 

There  was  mtich  speculation  among  th«  neighbors 
and  cowboys  as  to  which  one  Miss  Little  would  eventu- 
ally choose.  There  was  also  an  undercurrent  of  re- 
sentment at  the  way  she  kept  them  guessing,  and  sat 
people  in  the  country  have  nothing  to  talk  about,  ex- 

21 


STEVE  OF  THE  «—  G'^  RANCH 

cept  their  neighbors'  affairs,  this  was  sure  to  be  ex- 
pressed whenever  tlie  subject  came  up. 

Sam  Heiss,  an  old  crony  of  Steve's,  stopped  at  the 
Williams  Ranch  one  day  and  as  usual  the  conversation 
drifted  to  the  Gardeau  boys  and  their  love  affair,  and 
tlie  old  lady  Williams  remarked  with  much  rancor : 

"Well,  no  matter  how  Blackie  feels  about  it,  it 
hasn't  unbalanced  Steve  any.  He  may  be  in  love,  but 
he  is  just  as  sharp  on  a  horse  trade  as  ever." 

"I  guess  it  would  take  a  good  deal  to  spoil  Steve  for 
horse  tradin*,"  remarked  Sam.  "He's  a  cowboy, 
broncho  buster  and  a  lover  of  a  fast  horse  and  gen- 
erally has  one.  All  these  occupations  he  practices  in 
their  proper  seasons.  But  first,  last  and  all  the  time 
he's  a  horse  trader." 

'"Yes,  he  sure  skinned  us  good  and  proper,"  said 
Frank,  who  then  gave  the  details  of  a  trade  which  he 
made  with  Steve.  Sam  listened  for  awhile  and  then 
got  on  his  horse  and  rode  away,  making  a  point  to  pass 
the  Bar  Gee  Ranch,  and  if  Steve  was  home  get  the 
other  side  of  the  story. 

Steve  was  there  and  ready  for  a  chat.  After  they 
had  settled  themselves  comfortably  on  the  sunny  side 
of  the  bam  Sam  broached  the  subject  thus : 

"I  was  over  at  the  Williams  Ranch  to-day  and  the 
whole  family  was  roastin'  you  to  a  fare-you-well." 

"What's  the  matter  with  them?"  inquired  Steve. 

"They  say  you  beat  tliem  out  of  a  horse  an'  they  are 
mighty  sore  about  it.  They'd  take  turns  tellin'  the 
story.  One  would  talk  till  he  played  out  an'  then 
to'them  would  chime  in." 

"What  are  they  kickin'  about?  Has  old  High  Ball 
died?"  asked  Steve. 

"Is  that  the  name  of  the  horse  you  traded  them? 
They  didn't  say  anything  about  its  dyin'.*' 

"Well,  then  I  don't  see  where  they  have  any  kick 
22 


KNTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

comin*.  He's  got  four  good  legs  anyhow,  and  the  one 
I  got  in  exchange  is  a  cripple  and  will  be  as  long  as 
he  lives." 

"You  don't  say?  What  was  your  idea  for  tradin' 
for  it?"  inquired  Sam  much  puzzled. 

"I  got  it  to  sell  to  old  man  Dempsey  that  lives  on 
the  ranch  below,"  answered  Steve,  chuckling  at  the 
remembrance, 

"He  just  brought  out  a  new  wife  a  couple  of  weeks 
ago,  didn't  he?" 

"Yes,  and  she  is  about  twenty  years  younger  than 
he  is.  How  she  ever  happened  to  marry  him  is  more 
than  I  know.  Men  must  have  been  mighty  scarce 
back  where  she  came  from," 

"Where  did  he  get  her?" 

"Back  East  somewhere,  and  it's  sure  the  truth  that 
love  is  blind.  Since  he  got  married  old  Dempsey  is 
sure  locoed,  but  I  guess  I  helped  his  eyesight  some, 
I  think  he  can  see  plumb  good  out  of  one  eye  now, 
and  the  other'n'  is  improvin'  fast  since  I  sold  him  that 
horse." 

"How  much  did  you  get  for  it?** 

"One  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars." 

"Whew !    I  thought  you  said  the  horse  is  a  cripple." 

"He  is  and  always  will  be." 

"Well,  then  Dempsey  sure  must  have  gone  blind,  for 
he's  quite  a  horse  trader  himself,  ain't  he  ?" 

"Yes,  he  can  trade  horses  all  right  He  trimmed  me 
pretty  neatly  last  spring  and  I've  been  layin'  for  him 
ever  since." 

"How  did  he  happen  to  catch  you?  What  was  the 
matter  with  your  eyesight.  You  hadn't  met  the  school 
teacher  then,"  said  Sam,  trying  to  draw  Steve  out  on 
that  subject. 

"No,"  answered  Steve.  "And  if  I  had  it  wouldn't 
have  made  any  difference.     That  mare  would  have 

23 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

fooled  anybody.    All  she  needed  was  a  good  liar  back 
of  her." 

"Well,  I  guess  old  man  Dempsey  can  travel  in  that 
class  any  day,  but  he  must  have  told  some  pretty  stiff 
ones  to  take  you  in  so  completely." 

"No,  he  didn't  say  so  much.  You  see  it  was  this 
way."  And  Sam,  finding  that  he  at  last  had  Steve 
fairly  launched  on  the  subject,  settled  back  comfortably 
and  lit  his  pipe. 

"One  day  early  last  summer  as  I  was  sharpinin'  the 
sickle  to  the  mower,  gettin'  ready  to  start  cuttin'  al- 
falfa, the  old  man  came  up.  It  was  right  after  he 
had  bought  that  place  and  he  was  drivin'  as  pretty  a 
team  of  light  bay  mares  as  I  ever  saw.  Slick  and 
fat  and  perfect  beauties,  weighin'  about  twelve  hun- 
dred apiece.  I  looked  them  over  and  praised  them  up 
a  bit  and  the  old  man  said : 

"  ^es,  they  are  a  mighty  fine  team,  but  a  little  too 
high-lived  to  trust  with  that  green  man  I  have  workin' 
for  me,  so  I  guess  TU  have  to  sell  them  as  I'm  gettin' 
too  old  to  work  much  myself.' " 

"Guess  he  sung  a  different  tune  when  he  was  courtin' 
his  wife,"  answered  Sam. 

"Yes,  and  he's  been  hangin'  onto  every  bronc  on 
the  ranch  ever  since  he  came  back  and  they  drag  him 
around  all  over  the  corral,  but  he'll  keep  a  holdin'  on 
and  yellin'  at  'em  just  as  long  as  his  wife  is  lookin' 
.or  can  hear  him." 

"Looks  like  it  would  scare  her." 

"Humph,  she  encourages  him  in  it,  by  praisin'  his 
fine  horsemanship.  Guess  she  thinks  some  of  them 
will  kill  him  and  she  will  get  the  ranch  that  mucli 
sooner.  That  must  have  been  what  caught  her  eye. 
It  certainly  couldn't  have  been  him  that  attracted  her. 
When  he  spoke  about  wantin'  to  sell  the  horses  I  looked 
them  over  closer.    The  old  man  sat  and  watched  me 

24 


E]S"TER  WOMAN  KUMBEK  ONE 

and  when  I  had  finished  he  asked:  'What  will  you 
give  for  them/ 

"  *I  don't  know,  I  answered.  'I  don't  need  any  more 
horses.  Though  I  might  trade  you  somethmg  for 
them,  as  I  could  use  them  for  brood  mares.' 

"We  dickered  around  all  morning,  but  couldn't  make 
a  trade  for  the  team,  so  finally  he  said : 

"  TU  trade  you  the  mare  on  the  off  side  for  old 
Roney  and  twenty-five  dollars  to  boot.  I  hate  to  sell 
one  without  the  other,  but  TU  tell  you  the  truth,'  said 
he  lookin'  might  honest.  'She's  a  little  cold  shouldered 
and  I'm  afraid  that  man  that's  workin'  for  me  will  ruin 
hen' " 

"Thought  he  said  they  was  too  high-lived  at  first?** 
said  Sam. 

"Yes,  he  did  and  I  might  a-known  there  was  some- 
thing awful  wrong  with  her  if  he'd  admit  that  much. 
I  did  get  a  little  suspicious,  but  finally  agreed  that  if 
he'd  leave  her  for  rae  to  try  for  a  day  and  she  worked 
all  right  I'd  trade  him  Roney  and  give  him  fifteen  dol- 
lars to  boot.  He  tried  awful  hard  to  make  a  clean 
trade  of  it  then  and  there,  but  I  stuck  out  for  a  trial 
of  the  mare,  and  at  last  I  guess  he  thought  I  was  be- 
ginnin'  to  mistrust  something,  so  he  answered : 

"  'All  right  I'll  do  it.'  Then  he  unhitched  her  and 
put  the  harness  on  Roney,  while  I  hitched  her  up  to 
the  mower. 

"As  he  drove  off  he  called  out  kind  of  carelesslike, 
as  though  he  wasn't  in  any  hurry.  'I'll  be  over  in  a 
couple  of  days  to  see  how  you  like  her.' 

"Well,  I  worked  her  all  the  afternoon  and  she  went 
along  as  steady  and  honest  as  an  animal  could.  Went 
right  up  into  the  collar  and  pulled  her  share,  I  began 
to  think  I'd  made  a  good  trade.  The  next  morning  just 
as  I  hitched  up  and  started  to  drive  out  to  the  field 
along  came  Dempsey.     Said  he  had  to  go  to  Denver 

25 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

that  day  and  if  I  was  satisfied  we'd  close  the  deal  as 
he  liked  Roney  all  right. 

"I  went  into  the  house  and  brought  him  out  fifteen 
dollars,  and  when  I  handed  it  to  him  he  shoved  it  into 
his  pocket  and  started  off  like  he  couldn't  get  away 
fast  enough.  Right  then  I  said  to  myself :  Tm  stuck.* 
I  don't  know  what  made  me  think  it,  but  he  had  a  kind 
of  sneakin'  look  in  his  eyes  when  I  handed  him  the 
money  and  I  asked  him  then :  *This  deal  is  all  square, 
is  it?  That  man  you  bought  these  horses  from  hadn't 
stole  them  had  he?' 

"  *Oh,  no,'  he  answered.  *I  got  them  from  a  man  I 
have  known  all  my  life.' 

"I  went  to  work  and  I  hadn't  gone  three  roimds 
until  the  mare  stopped." 

"The  old  cuss,"  said  Sam.    "What  did  you  do?" 

"I  sat  there  and  looked  at  her  for  awhile  and  she 
turned  her  head  and  watched  me  out  of  the  comer  of 
her  eye,  to  see  how  I  was  takin'  it.  I  clucked  to  her 
and  after  hesitatin'  for  a  moment  she  started  up,  but 
acted  just  like  she  had  a  notion  not  to  do  it. 

"  'That  ain't  so  bad,'  I  thought,  but  on  the  next 
round  she  stopped  again.  I  clucked  to  her  and  tapped 
her  up  with  my  whip,  but  it  took  her  longer  to  make 
up  her  mind  to  start  this  time.  Every  time  we  reached 
that  place  she  would  stop.  I'd  get  off  and  oil  the 
machine  and  tinker  around,  tryin'  to  make  myself  be- 
lieve I  wasn't  gettin'  mad.  She  kept  that  up  all  after- 
noon, gettin'  a  little  worse  all  the  time.  I  tried  all  the 
ways  I  ever  heard  of  for  makin'  a  balky  horse  start,  but 
none  of  them  worked.  Along  about  quittin'  time  she 
stopped  for  good.  I  unhitched  the  team  and  I  couldn't 
even  lead  her  toward  the  house.  That  sure  made  me 
mad  and  I  picked  up  a  club  and  went  after  her,  and  if 
she  didn't  dodge,  and  I  nearly  knocked  the  other  horse 
down, 

26 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

••At  last  she  started  and  I  drove  her  as  far  as  the 
comer  of  the  yard  fence  and  she  balked  again,  so  I 
simply  tied  her  to  the  comer  post  and  left  her  there. 
Thought  I  would  leave  her  there  all  night,  but  before 
I  went  to  bed  I  began  to  feel  sorry  and  went  out 
to  get  her — and  do  you  think  I  could  budge  her?  Not 
an  inch,  and  there  she  stood  all  night  keepin'  every- 
body awake,  stampin'  her  feet  and  rattlin'  her  harness. 
The  next  morning  I  drove  her  in,  fed  and  watered 
her  and  hitched  her  up  again.  She  never  balked  once 
all  day  and  worked  all  right  the  next  time.  She  just 
seemed  to  take  it  by  spells. 

"I  worked  and  worried  with  her  all  the  time  I  was 
mowin'  the  first  cuttin'  of  alfalfa.  Some  days  she'd 
work  and  some  she  wouldn't.  Finally  I  tried  driving 
her  to  a  wagon.  She  didn't  balk  much  on  the  road, 
but  couldn't  stand  the  trips  and  would  get  slower  antl 
slower,  until  she  would  play  out  completely.'' 

"What  did  you  do  with  her?"  asked  Sam. 

"I  turned  her  out  in  the  pasture  and  I  guess  she  must 
have  got  a  nail  in  her  foot  someliow.  I  saw  her  one 
day  limpin'  around  and  I  wouldn't  even  take  the 
trouble  to  drive  her  in  to  find  out  what  was  the  mat- 
ter. I  didn't  go  out  to  the  pasture  again  for  about  a 
week  and  when  I  did  her  head  was  all  drawn  around 
to  one  side  and  I  saw  she  had  lock-jaw.  I  said :  *Cood 
for  you,  old  girl,  I  hope  you  die  a  good  hard  death.' " 

"Did  she  die?" 

"Yes,  she  died  all  right  and  I  was  glad  of  it'* 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  answered  Sam.  "When  a  man 
gets  a  horse  like  that  he  ought  to  take  it  out  and 
shoot  it.  What  do  you  reckon  was  the  matter  with 
her?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  believe  she  had  been  hurt,  or 
there  was  something  the  matter  with  her  head.  I 
believe  horses  get  crazy  streaks  same  as  people  da 

27 


STEVE  OF  THE  ''—  G"  RANCH 

She'd  balk  anywhere,  with  an  empty  wagon  goin'  down 
hill,  or  when  I  was  leadin'  her  down  to  get  a  drink, 
after  workin'  half  a  day.  So  there  must  have  been 
something  the  matter  with  her  besides  onriness." 

"I'll  bet  old  Dempsey  did  some  tall  laughin',"  ob- 
served Sam. 

"If  he  did  he  never  laughed  where  I  could  see  him, 
and  I  guess  it's  my  chance  now." 

"What  color  was  the  horse  you  sold  him?  I  don't 
remember  the  Williams  boys  havin'  a  crippled  horse." 

"It's  a  light  sorrel  and  as  pretty  as  a  picture  and, 
like  the  balky  mare,  it  is  only  crippled  by  spells,  or 
when  used  for  awhile.  As  long  as  it  runs  in  the 
pasture  it  is  all  right  and  there  ain't  one  mark  on  its 
ankle  to  show  what  causes  it  to  go  lame." 

"I  suppose  he  bought  it  for  his  wife  to  ride,"  laughed 
Sam. 

"Yes,  he  wanted  to  give  her  a  weddin'  present  of  a 
saddle  horse  and  didn't  have  anything  fancy  enough. 
The  man  that  was  workin'  for  him  told  me  about  it. 
Said  the  old  man  wanted  something  extra.  That 
nothin'  was  too  good  for  Mrs.  Dempsey  number  two. 
Just  as  soon  as  I  heard  it  I  saddled  up  that  gray  horse 
I  got  from  old  man  Milton,  called  High  Ball,  and  rode 
over  to  see  the  Williams  boys." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  ever  managed  to  trade  with 
them,"  observed  Sam.  "If  a  man  takes  them  up  on  an 
offer  they  back  out  for  fear  they  ain't  askin'  enough." 

"Yes,  I  know  that,  so  I  hung  around  all  morning 
and  never  mentioned  horse  trade.  After  awhile  I  led 
the  conversation  'round  to  crippled  horses  and  Philip 
said: 

"  'Steve,  what  do  you  suppose  is  the  matter  with 
that  sorrel  saddle  horse  of  ours  ?  He  goes  lame  every 
time  we  use  him  a  day  or  so.' 

"  'Why,  ain't  he  well  yet  ?'  I  asked  as  though  sur- 
28 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  ONE 

prised.     I  knew  he  was  not  and  that  was  just  the 
opening  I  was  lookin'  for. 

"  *No/  said  Frank.  *He  looks  all  right.  His  ankle 
ain't  any  bigger  than  the  rest  and  any  one  that  didn't 
know  him  would  never  think  about  his  goin'  lame.' 

"  *  Why  don't  you  sell  him  to  some  one  ?  No  use  in 
your  keeping  him,  if  you  can't  use  him.' 

"  *What  would  you  give  for  him  ?'  asked  Philip. 
"  'I  don't  know,'  I  said,  as  though  I  wasn't  much 
interested.  *Bring  him  up  and  let's  have  a  look  at  him.' 
When  they  brought  him  up  I  looked  him  over  and  to 
all  appearances  there  was  not  a  thing  the  matter  with 
him,  but  I  told  them  I  would  not  give  much  for  him.' 
"  *Maybe  you  can  cure  him.  You  are  pretty  lucky 
that  way„  What  would  you  give  for  him  as  he  stands  ?* 
asked  Philip. 

"  'Well,  sir,'  I  said,  as  though  just  makin'  up  my 
mind.  'I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do.  I'll  give  you  this 
old  gray  horse  I'm  ridin'  for  the  sorrel  and  you  pay  me 
ten  dollars  to  boot.' 

"  'No,  I  can't  do  that,'  said  Frank,  'But  111  trade 
even.' 

"I  never  said  a  word,  but  uncinched  my  saddle  and 
flimg  it  on  the  back  of  the  sorrel,  tightened  up  the 
cinch  and  rode  off.  You'd  ought  to  have  seen  their 
faces.  They  began  to  look  sick  even  then,  although 
the  horse  I  traded  them  was  all  right  and  they  couldn't 
have  sold  the  crippled  one  to  anybody  else  for  any- 
thing. Of  course.  High  Ball  is  old,  but  he  is  just  the 
thing  for  Frank  who  is  afraid  to  ride  a  horse  that  will 
go  out  of  a  walk." 

"Did  he  go  lame  on  you  goin'  home  ?"  asked  Sam. 

"I  should  say  he  did.     By  tlie  time  I  got  home  he 

was  travlin'  on  three  legs.    I  had  to  get  off  and  walk 

the  last  half  mile.     I  let  him  rest  a  day  or  two  and 

didn't  say  anything  to  the  folks  at  home  about  him. 

29 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Day  before  yesterday  as  I  was  saddlin'  my  horse 
my  little  sister  come  out  and  asked:  'Where 
are  you  going?  Can't  I  go  along?  I  am  just  crazy 
to  try  that  pretty  horse  you  bought  the  other  day.' 

"  'All  right/  I  answered.  *You  can  come,  but  it 
may  not  be  a  very  long  ride.' 

"  'Why,  where  are  you  going?' 

"  *Oh,  I  don't  know  yet,  but  you  can  come  along 
and  take  your  chances.'  When  she  was  ready  we 
started  out  and  went  straight  to  old  man  Dempsey's. 
He  was  at  home  and  his  wiie  came  out  with  him  and 
wanted  my  sister  to  get  off,  but  she  answered:  *No, 
111  come  down  some  other  time.  I  want  to  go  with 
Steve  to-day  and  ride  this  dandy  horse.  Isn't  he  a 
beauty?' 

"  *Yes,'  answered  Mrs.  Dempsey.    'Is  he  gentle?' 

"  'He's  as  gentle  as  a  lamb,'  answered  Phil. 

"I  kept  still.  I  thought  they  were  doin'  pretty 
well  without  me,  although  my  sister  didn't  know  any- 
thing about  what  I  was  intending  to  do. 

"Finally  old  man  Dempsey  became  interested  and 
remarked :  'I'm  lookin'  for  a  horse  for  my  wife  and 
if  you  want  to  sell  him  and  your  price  is  right  maybe 
we  can  make  a  deal.' 

"I  told  him  that  as  I  had  only  had  him  a  few  days 
I  was  in  no  hurry  to  sell  him  and  that  I  might  take 
him  to  town,  as  I  knew  a  party  who  was  lookin'  for 
a  showy  horse  and  was  willing  to  pay  a  good  price. 
'I  wouldn't  take  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.' 

"At  that  the  old  man  fairly  snorted,  and  said  he  could 
get  a  half  a  dozen  horses  for  that  as  cheap  as  horses 
are  now.  I  told  him  maybe  he  could,  but  not  like  that 
horse.  Well,  he  hummed  and  hawed  for  a  while,  but 
his  wife  was  dead  stuck  on  the  horse  and  kept  sayin' 
that  cme  himdred  and  fifty  dollars  wasn't  much  for 

30 


ENTEE  WOMAif  NUMBEE  ONE 

a  horse;  that  they  cost  a  lot  more  than  that  back 
where  she  came  from ;  so  he  finally  said  he'd  give  me 
one  hundred  dollars  for  him.  I  offered  to  split  the 
difference  and  let  him  have  it  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars  and  when  he  took  me  up  I  said: 

"  'YouVe  bought  a  horse.    Get  off  Phil.' 

"  *A11  right/  answered  old  man  Dempsey.  *Which 
would  you  rather  have?     Cash  or  a  check?' 

*'I  told  him  I  would  take  cash.  I  "didn't  want  a 
<:heck  as  I  was  afraid  he  would  stop  payment  on  it 

"Him  and  his  wife  went  for  a  ride  that  afternoon 
and  the  horse  went  along  fine  for  awhile,  as  they  trav- 
eled along  slow,  but  as  soon  as  the  old  man  started  to 
hit  it  up  a  little  faster  the  horse  began  to  go  lame, 
and  before  they  had  gone  a  quarter  of  a  mile  he  could 
hardly  hobble  along.  Mrs.  Dempsey  had  to  get  off 
and  wait  for  the  old  man  to  go  back  to  the  house  and 
hitch  up  to  the  buggy,  as  they  did  not  have  any- 
thing gentle  enough  for  her  to  ride. 

"The  next  day  he  came  up  just  as  mad  as  he  could 
be.  At  last  he  cooled  down  and  said :  'Well,  I  know 
I'm  beat  all  right,  but  what  is  the  matter  with  the 
horse  ?' 

"I  told  him  I  didn't  know.  That  it  had  been  that 
way  for  a  year  or  so  and  nobody  can  find  out.  The 
people  I  got  him  from  took  him  to  a  good  vetinary 
and  he  could  not  tell  what  was  the  trouble,  and  I  said 
*I  guess  this  just  about  evens  us  up,  don't  it  Dempsey?' 
He  looked  at  me  for  a  minute  and  turned  and  went 
home  without  sayin'  a  word. 

"When  Walter  Milton  heard  about  the  deal  he  said 
he  was  goin'  to  get  on  his  horse  and  ride  right  over 
and  tell  the  Williams  boys  how  much  I  got  for  the 
lioree.  He  said  they'd  howl  about  it  for  the  next  ten 
years  and  from  what  you  say  I  guess  they  will." 

"Well,  I  don't  see  why  they  ought,  they  couldn't  a- 
31 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

sold  it  to  anyone  else,"  said  Sam,    ^'But  Mrs.  Williams 
was  right  about  one  thing  though." 

"What  was  that?" 

**She  said  your  bein'  in  love  hadn^t  dulled  your  wits 
any.  That  you  was  just  as  sharp  as  ever  on  a  horse 
trade," 

"How  does  she  know  I*m  in  love?"  asked  Steve, 

"I  guess  she's  judgin'  by  the  symptoms.  You  and 
Blackie  have  been  courtin'  the  teacher  pretty  vigorous 
all  winter  and  everybody  is  wonderin'  which  is  goin' 
to  win," 

"I  suppose  it  does  look  as  if  we  was  both  in  love 
with  her  an'  I  guess  there  ain't  much  doubt  about 
Blackie's  f  eelin's.  He's  hardly  spoken  to  me  all  winter, 
and  is  as  sullen  and  as  cross  as  a  bear.  But  just  be- 
tween you  and  me  I'm  sure  tryin'  mighty  hard  to  keep 
my  head  and  if  I'd  thought  she  cared  anything  for 
Blackie  I'd  a-dropped  out  long  ago,  but  shucks,  she's 
just  playin'  with  us  both  and  only  wants  to  hang  our 
scalps  to  her  belt.  She's  awful  pretty  and  has  soft, 
little  coaxin'  ways  that's  sure  hard  to  resist  at  times, 
but  I've  pulled  through  so  far  and  I  guess  Blackie  has 
a  suspicion  of  how  things  are  himself  and  is  keepin' 
a  tight  grip  on  his  tongue,  if  he  can't  control  his  heart," 

"It's  a  pretty  interistin'  game,  but  you'd  better  drop 
out  if  you  think  she's  got  the  cards  stacked,  because 
you  are  liable  to  get  badly  burnt  if  you  keep  on,"  ad- 
vised Sam. 

"Yes,  that's  so,  but  I'll  play  it  to  a  finish  now.  It  won't 
be  long  until  school  is  out  and  that  will  end  it.  If  I 
dropped  out  now  it  would  look  like  I'd  been  sacked." 

"Maybe  you  are  right  But  what  if  she  applies  for 
the  school  next  year?"  suggested  Sam. 

"That's  so,  she  might  Well,  if  she  does  I'll  give  it 
to  her.  I  wouldn't  want  her  or  the  people  to  think  I 
was  doin'  any  spite  work." 

32 


LOST  IN  A  MAECH  BLIZZARD 

II 

LOST  IN  A  MARCH  BLIZZARD 

Alas  for  the  well-laid  plans  of  mice  and  men.  School 
was  out  the  last  of  March  and  both  Steve  and  Blackie 
sought  the  honor  of  taking  Miss  Little  to  the  station, 
and  she,  thinking  of  the  long  drive,  decided  to  go  with 
Steve ;  as  so  far  he  had  not  proposed  and  she  hoped  to 
bring  it  about  on  this  last  trip  together. 

There  was  already  a  foot  of  snow  on  the  ground 
and  this  had  been  alternately  melted  by  the  hot  sun 
during  the  day  and  frozen  by  night  until  it  was  cov- 
ered with  a  hard  crust  through  which  the  horses  broke 
continuously,  so  they  could  make  but  slow  progress. 

The  sky  and  atmosphere  were  of  the  same  cheer- 
less gray  color  which  looked  as  if  it  might  thicken 
into  a  storm  at  any  minute.  When  Steve  reached  the 
Colwell  Ranch  his  sister  came  out  and  inquired : 

"Are  you  going  to  attempt  to  take  Miss  Little  to 
the  station  to-day?  It  looks  like  there  is  going  to  b^ 
a  blizzard.    You  had  better  put  it  off  until  to-morrow," 

"It  is  just  as  Miss  Little  says.  I  told  her  I  would 
t^ke  her  to-day  and  I  am  here  to  keep  my  promise, 
although  I  think  it'd  be  much  better  if  she  would  post- 
pone her  trip  until  next  week,  as  the  roads  are  already 
bad  and  if  it  should  storm  it  might  be  pretty  dis- 
agreeable." 

"Mother  will  be  so  worried  if  I  am  not  there  when 
they  go  to  meet  me,"  quickly  objected  Miss  Little  in  a 
solicitous  voice.    "I  should  not  have  written  them  wh^ 

33, 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

to  expect  me  and  then  it  would  have  been  all  right  to 
wait  over." 

"It  is  too  bad  to  disappoint  her,  but  1  believe  she 
would  be  more  worried  if  she  knew  you  were  out  in 
such  weather,"  suggested  Mrs.  Colweil. 

"But  she  will  not  know  about  that  and  will  only 
wonder  why  I  have  not  come,"  said  Miss  Little,  meet- 
ing all  objections,  and  giving  the  impression  of  a  duti- 
ful daughter  who  would  suffer  any  hardship  ratiier 
than  give  her  mother  an  anxious  moment,  while  the 
truth  was,  she  had  planned  to  be  one  of  a  theatre  party 
that  night  and  her  friend  Antoinette  and  the  original 
of  one  of  the  dozen  photos  Mrs.  Colweil  had  com- 
mented upon  were  to  be  at  the  station  to  meet  her.  It 
was  they  and  herself  who  would  be  disappointed  and 
not  her  mother  whom  she  had  not  taken  the  trouble 
to  inform  as  the  date  of  her  arrival,  but  Miss  Little 
was  far  too  clever  to  let  that  appear. 

"We  had  better  decide  at  once  what  we  are  going 
to  do,"  said  Steve,  putting  an  end  to  the  discussion. 
"We  will  have  to  start  right  away  if  we  are  to  get 
there  in  time  for  the  train,  as  the  roads  are  bad  and 
we  will  have  to  drive  slowly." 

"Very  well.  Til  be  ready  in  a  moment,"  agreed  Miss 
Little,  hurrying  away  for  her  wraps. 

Mrs.  Colweil  brought  extra  robes  and  hot  bricks  for 
their  feet  and  saw  to  adjusting  the  houd  of  the  buggy, 
so  as  to  protect  them  from  as  much  wind  and  cold  as 
'^possible;  Miss  Little  nervously  protesting  all  the  time 
for  fear  the  delay  would  make  them  late  for  the  train. 

At  last  they  were  ready  to  start  and  set  off  on  their 
slow  toilsome  journey  of  eighteen  tortuous  miles  to  the 
station.  They  had  not  gone  far  when  fine  star-like 
flakes  of  snow  came  gently  drifting  down,  eddying 
about  as  they  neared  the  eartli,  as  if  reluctant  to  alight ; 
lulling  all  fears  of  the  storm  of  which  they  were  the 

34 


LOST  m  A  MARCH  BLIZZAED 

forerunner  by  the  quietness  of  their  approach.  Pres- 
ently a  bitter  blast  swept  down  from  the  north,  strik- 
ing the  travelers  full  in  the  face  and  the  horses  paused 
for  an  instant  and  started  to  turn  'round. 

"Are  you  going  back?"  inquired  Miss  Little,  still 
apprehensive. 

"No,"  shouted  Steve  hoarsely  through  the  raging 
wind.  "It  is  too  late  now.  We'll  have  to  keep  on  until 
we  reach  some  house.  Pull  the  robes  over  your  head 
and  do  your  best  to  keep  up  circulation  in  your  hands 
and  feet.    We  are  in  for  a  hard  blizzard," 

"Oh !  I  am  so  sorry  I  made  you  come,"  exclaimed 
Miss  Little,  the  tears  starting  from  her  eyes  and  freez- 
ing before  they  fell. 

"That's  all  right,  little  girl,"  said  Steve,  reassuringly. 
"Don't  cry,"  and  putting  his  arm  around  her  he  ten- 
derly pulled  her  up  close  to  him  and  put  the  robe  over 
her  head  to  shut  out  the  stinging,  biting  cold.  Miss 
Little  nestled  down  close  to  him,  grateful  for  the  added 
warmth  of  his  body  which  served  to  check  the  numb- 
ness that  had  been  gradually  creeping  upon  her.  She 
could  hear  Steve  beating  his  hands  and  felt  the  lurch 
of  the  buggy  as  it  alternately  broke  through  or  rode  on 
top  of  the  crust  as  the  horses  stumbled  and  strained 
through  the  blinding  snow.  Suddenly  the  vehicle 
jerked  downward  with  violent  force  and  Miss  Little 
slid  off  the  seat  to  the  bottom  and  almost  went  out 
over  the  wheel.  Steve  caught  her  with  one  hand  and 
pulled  her  back,  saying: 

"Hold  on,  we  are  in  a  gulch." 

She  climbed  back  into  the  seat  again  with  an  cflFort, 
and  beheld  the  horses  floundering  and  struggling  for 
a  foothold  in  the  deep,  powdery  snow  which  the  wind 
was  momentarily  piling  higher  and  higher  in  the  gulch. 
At  a  shout  from  Steve  they  lunged  forward  and 
struggled  up  the  high  bank.    After  that  they  drove  on 

35 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

for  what  seemed  hours  to  Miss  Little,  who  had  lost 
all  count  of  time.  At  last  she  inquired,  making  herself 
heard  with  an  effort: 

"Do  you  think  we  are  lost?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Steve.  *'It  is  hard  to  keep 
the  horses  headed  toward  the  wind,  but  if  it  hasn't 
changed  I  think  we  are  going  in  the  right  direction, 
but  we  may  pass  a  ranch  and  never  know  it." 

At  last  the  horses  came  to  a  halt  and  Steve  started 
to  get  out,  thrusting  the  lines  into  her  numbed  and 
stiffened  hands. 

"Where  are  we?"  asked  she,  but  the  wind  mufHed 
her  voice. 

When  the  gate  was  opened  the  tired  horses  struggled 
through  with  small  guidance  from  Miss  Little  and  nar- 
rowly escaped  hanging  the  wagon  up  on  a  post.  Some 
range  cattle  and  horses  had  drifted  in  from  the  prairie, 
seeing  shelter  from  the  storm.  They  had  broken 
tlirough  the  fence  beyond  the  gate  and  stood  shivering 
in  the  lea  of  the  bam,  and  seeing  them  Miss  Little 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief  at  the  thought  that  they  had 
reached  some  ranch. 

Steve  led  the  horses  up  nearer  the  yard  gate  and, 
picking  Miss  Little  up,  wraps  and  all,  carried  her  to 
the  house,  uncerimoniously  opened  the  door,  thrust  her 
inside  and  stepped  in  himself.  The  startled  occupant 
jumped  up  from  where  he  was  huddled  over  a  small 
cook  stove  and  regarded  with  widening  eyes  the  two 
snow-covered  beings  which  the  storm  had  thrust  upon 
him.  Addressing  him  in  Mexican,  of  which  he  knew 
a  little,  Steve  made  known  their  plight  and  with  a  few 
guttural  words  of  understanding  the  man  hastily  put 
on  his  coat  and  went  out  to  unhitch  the  horses. 

Steve  helped  Miss  Little  take  off  her  wraps,  she 
being  too  numbed  and  exhausted  to  even  inquire  where 
t^ey  were.    When  the  Mexican  returued  he  shook  tli<? 

m 


LOST  m  A  MAECH  BLIZZAED 

snow  from  the  robes  and  comforts  which  he  had 
brought  in  from  the  buggy  and  spreading  them  on  the 
bed  Steve  induced  Miss  Little  to  lie  down,  while  he 
made  a  hot  drink  for  them  both  from  the  whisky  the 
man  produced.  This  put  Miss  little  to  sleep  and  when 
she  awoke  a  couple  of  hours  later  she  sat  up  with  a 
start. 

"Where  are  we?'*  inquired  she. 

"We  are  at  one  of  Mr.  Rann's  sheep  camps.  Don't 
you  hear  the  sheep  bleating?"  asked  Steve. 

"Yes,  that  is  what  woke  me.  I  dreamed  I  was  in  an 
orphan  asylum  which  was  full  of  little  children  and 
they  were  all  crying  at  once." 

"Well,  no  wonder  you  woke  up  then,"  laughed  Steve. 
"How  do  you  feel?" 

"Pretty  well.    How  long  will  we  have  to  stay  here?" 

"I  can't  say.  As  soon  as  the  storm  quits  I  will  try 
to  drive  to  the  Rann  ranch,  which  ain't  more  than  two 
miles  from  here,  but  it  will  not  be  safe  to  try  until  it 
does." 

"I  have  heard  of  the  Ranns,"  said  Miss  Little. 
"They  have  been  out  here  a  long  time,  have  they  not?" 

"Yes,  I  guess  everybody  knows  of  them.  They  are 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers." 

"The  old  man  used  to  be  quite  an  Indian  fighter, 
didn't  he?" 

"Yes,"  assented  Steve.  "He  came  out  here  when  the 
Civil  War  was  still  only  a  possibility,  and  settled  on 
Running  Creek.  The  Indians  caused  him  a  good  deal 
of  trouble  for  awhile,  burning  his  cabin  once  or  twice, 
so  one  of  his  Mexican  sheep  herders  advised  him  to 
build  an  Adobe  house  which  would  not  bum,  like  they 
build  in  New  Mexico  and  Old  Mexico." 

"What  is  an  Adobe  house?"  inquired  the  girl. 

"Adobe,  or  'Dobie'  as  every  one  calls  it  is  composed 
of  a  dark,  heavy  soil  which  when  wet  and  packed  hard 

3T 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

and  let  dry  is  almost  as  hard  as  cement  The  Mexi- 
cans and  Indians  of  Old  Mexico  used  to  build  houses 
of  it  and  do  yet,  I  guess.  It  lasts  for  years  and  houses 
of  it  are  warm  in  winter  and  cool  in  summer.  The 
old  man  liked  the  idea  and,  hiring  a  lot  of  Mexicans 
to  mix  the  mud  and  make  the  blocks,  he  built  a  big 
fort-like  house  with  walls  about  three  feet  thick. 
Through  the  middle  he  made  a  regular  old-time  fire- 
place, with  hooks  to  hold  the  pots  and  kettles  for 
cooking/' 

"How  interesting.  Did  the  Indians  every  try  to  burn 
it?"  inquired  Miss  Little. 

"Yes,  but  they  soon  found  they  could  not  do  it, 
and  when  they  went  on  the  war  path  the  settlers  from 
all  around  used  to  come  over  to  the  Rann  Ranch  for 
protection.  One  night  when  they  were  all  asleep  and 
was  not  thinking  of  Indians,  an  enterprising  young 
buck  tried  to  get  in  and  tomahawk  them  all  by  slidin' 
down  the  chimney  into  the  fireplace.  He  got  stuck 
when  he  was  about  half  way  down  anti  couldn't  go 
either  way  and  made  such  a  racket  tryin'  to  get  loose 
that  they  all  woke  up  and  when  they  found  out  what 
it  was  the  old  man  built  a  fire  and  smoked  him  to 
death. 

"The  Indian  hung  there  for  two  or  three  days  be- 
fore they  could  get  him  down.  All  the  neighbors  came 
to  see  and  help  get  him  out  and  did  a  lot  of  jokin'  about 
the  new  kind  of  meat  Rann  had  hangin'  in  his  smoke- 
house." 

"Oh,  how  horrible!"  exclaimed  Miss  Little,  shud- 
dering. 

"Lots  of  times  the  Indians  used  to  come  along  and 
ask  for  something  to  eat.  One  day  when  an  Indian 
came  by  and  Mr.  Rann  was  away  Mrs.  Rann  went  to 
bed  and  pretended  to  be  sick.  When  the  Indian 
came  up  she  sent  the  oldest  boy  to  the  door  to  say 

38 


LOST  IN  A  MAKCH  BLIZZARD 

'Squaw  sick'  thinking  that  would  scare  him  away  as 
most  Indians  are  afraid  of  sickness,  but  I  guess  he 
must  have  geen  pretty  hungry  or  a  little  st:spicious, 
anyway  he  swung  his  tomahawk  around  like  he  was 
going  to  kill  him  and  frightened  the  boy  half  to  death." 

"Wonder  what  was  the  reason  he  did  not  kill  him  ?" 

"It  was  old  CoUerah,  chief  of  one  of  the  tribes  of 
the  Utes,  and  as  they  were  supposed  to  be  friendly 
I  guess  he  thought  he  had  better  not  do  it  But  he  kept 
ridin'  'round  the  house  all  day,  lookin'  in  at  the  win- 
dows and  scarin'  Mrs.  Rann  and  the  children  half  out 
of  their  wits." 

"How  old  is  Mr.  Rann  now?"  asked  Miss  Little, 

"Somewhere  between  eighty  and  ninety,  I  guess.  He 
is  gettin'  pretty  feeble.  Spends  most  of  his  time  settin' 
in  the  corner  dozin'  by  the  fireplace.  But  he  wakes 
up  long  enough  to  buy  a  section  of  land  now  and  then. 
Last  year  he  had  a  green  man  workin'  for  him  and 
he  told  him  to  hitch  up  to  the  wagon  and  haul  some 
posts  out  to  where  they  was  building  fence.  The 
man  hitched  up  all  right,  but  when  he  tried  to  turn 
around  he  cramped  the  wagon  so  that  it  almost  turned 
over.    It  made  the  old  man  mad  and  he  said : 

"  'You  blankety,  blank  fool.  I  have  twenty  thousand 
acres  in  this  ranch  and  if  that  ain't  enough  for  you 
to  turn  around  on  FU  buy  a  few  sections  more.  Get 
off  that  wagon.'  And  when  the  man  climbed  down  old 
man  Rann  got  up  on  the  wagon  and  straightened  out 
the  team  and  turned  it  'round." 

"I  am  just  crazy  to  see  that  old  fireplace.  How  soon 
can  we  start?" 

"I  don't  know.  The  storm  does  not  seem  to  get  any 
better.  We  will  probably  have  to  stay  here  all  night, 
so  you  might  as  well  make  yourself  comfortable.  The 
Mexican  will  have  supper  ready  soon." 

"I  will  cook  it  myself.  I  am  ravenously  hungry  aud 
39 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

I  could  not  eat  anything  that  greasy  looking  man 
cooked/*  said  Miss  Little,  getting  up. 

"Maybe  he  won't  let  you/'  said  Steve.  "Some  of 
them  are  very  grouchy/' 

But  when  the  Mexican  returned  from  looking  after 
the  sheep  Miss  Little  smiled  sweetly  and  searching  her 
mind  for  the  few  words  of  Spanish,  which  she  had 
stored  up  at  such  pains  to  both  herself  and  teacher 
i^hile  in  high  school,  said : 

"Buonas  noches,  caballero.    Tentimos  molestarle/' 

At  that  the  sheep-herder,  who  was  young  and  hand- 
some, made  a  sweeping  bow  and  much  to  her  sur- 
prise started  off  on  a  long  string  of  Spanish,  instead 
of  the  Mexican  jargon,  and  about  all  she  could  under- 
stand was  the  word  Senorita,  which  he  repeated  sev- 
eral times,  but  from  the  gestures  he  made  she  gathered 
that  he  and  all  he  possessed  were  hers  to  command. 
So,  with  a  tentative  look  to  see  how  he  was  taking  it, 
she  started  to  cook  supper  with  the  Mexican  her  will- 
ing assistant. 

Steve  watched  Miss  Little  as  she  busied  herself 
among  the  pots  and  pans  and  daintily  went  about  pre- 
paring supper  and  he  would  have  been  scarcely  human 
if  he  had  not  had  a  vision  of  a  home  and  this  woman 
as  its  mistress.  Wasn't  she  his  by  right,  thought  he 
fiercely.  Hadn't  he  kept  her  from  freezing  by  the 
warmth  of  his  own  body  and  hadn't  he  fought  the 
elements  for  her  sake  all  that  long  day,  wresting  her 
from  the  very  teeth  of  death  by  his  sure  instincts  ?  For 
it  was  that  alone  that  had  guided  him,  as  the  storm 
had  obliterated  all  landmarks  and  the  horses  would 
long  ago  have  been  wandering  in  a  circle  if  he  had  not 
forced  them  to  face  the  whirling  blizzard  as  it  swirled 
down  from  the  north. 

Perhaps  some  such  thought  entered  Miss  Little's 
mind  also,  for  she  gave  him  a  tender  glance  as  they 

40 


LOST  IN  A  MAKCH  BLIZZAED 

sat  down  to  supper  and  if  he  had  proposed  that  night 
while  the  Mexican  was  out  caring  for  the  sheep  she 
would  no  doubt  have  accepted  him.  But  she,  divining 
what  v/as  coming,  to  hide  her  confusion  inadvertently 
picked  up  an  old  paper  which  the  Mexican  had  brought 
over  wrapped  around  some  groceries.  In  looking  it 
over  she  came  across  a  long  account  of  the  play  she 
was  to  have  attended  that  night,  and  she  thoughtlessly 
said: 

"Oh !  I  had  forgotten  all  about  going  to  the  theatre 
to-night." 

"So  that  was  why  you  was  so  keen  to  get  to  the 
city  to-day,"  said  Steve,  on  the  instant  fiercely  jealous. 
"I  thought  you  was  mighty  anxious  about  your  mother 
for  a  girl  that  is  as  light  headed  as  you  are.  Mighty 
little  you  cared  whether  I  froze  to  death  or  not,  so  long 
as  you  got  to  the  train  on  time,"  exclaimed  he  angrily. 

"Oh!  How  can  you  speak  so.  You  know  I  never 
thought  about  there  being  a  blizzard,"  objected  she, 
bitterly  regretting  her  carelessness  in  letting  her  true 
reason  appear. 

But  the  thought  of  the  other  fellow  who  was  going 
to  take  her  to  the  theatre  banished  all  tenderer  ideas 
from  Steve's  mind  and,  putting  on  his  coat,  he  went 
out  to  help  bed  down  the  sheep  for  the  night.  When 
they  w^ere  throtigh  he  and  the  Mexican  came  in  and 
getting  a  few  comforts  repaired  to  the  hay  loft  for  the 
night,  and  Miss  Little  did  not  get  the  proposal  for 
which  she  had  manoeuvered  so  long. 

The  storra  was  still  raging  the  next  morning  and 
kept  it  up  all  day,  so  it  was  not  possible  to  attempt  driv- 
ing to  the  Rann  Ranch.  Steve  and  Miss  Little  avoided 
speaking  to  each  other  as  much  as  they  could,  until 
seeing  that  the  Mexican  seemed  puzzled  at  their  silence, 
they  gradually  became  more  sociable  and  before  night 
Miss  Little  had  coaxed  Steve  into  good  humor.    How- 

41 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  &'  RANCH 

ever,  she  knew  that  he  still  retained  a  secret  resent  - 
ment  which  he  would  be  slow  to  forget. 

The  next  day  they  were  able  to  get  over  to  the  Rann 
Ranch,  where  they  had  to  stay  for  two  or  three  days 
before  they  could  make  the  trip  to  Watkins  where 
Miss  Little  was  to  take  the  train.  When  they  at  last 
reached  the  station  and  she  was  getting  on  the  train 
Steve  asked :    **Well,  when  will  I  see  you  again  ?" 

"Oh !  I  don't  know,"  airily  exclaimed  she,  half  turn- 
ing as  she  mounted  the  steps  and  glancing  at  him  in- 
differently over  her  shoulder.  "I  am  going  to  Cali- 
fornia with  my  mother  in  a  week  or  so  and  we  will  not 
be  back  until  the  latter  part  of  June." 

"Are  you  sure  it  is  your  mother  you  are  goin'  with  ?" 
inquired  Steve. 

"Why  of  course,"  laughed  she.  "Who  did  you  think 
it  was?" 

"O !  I  don't  know.  I  can't  help  being  suspicious 
when  you  mention  your  mother,  somehow." 

"Well,  it  is  her  this  time."  And  then  apropos  of 
nothing,  she  remarked :  "I  promised  Mrs.  Evanston  ol 
Elizabeth  that  I  would  come  out  the  Fourth  of  July 
and  go  with  them  to  the  picnic  at  the  Alton  Ranch." 

"All  right,  ril  be  there,"  said  Steve.  The  conductor 
called  ail-aboard  and  Steve  was  left  standing  on  the 
platform  looking  after  the  train. 

A  tall  slender  cowboy  strolled  up  just  then  and  see- 
ing Steve  watching  the  departing  train  and  guessing 
the  reason,  drawled  out: 

"Hello !    You  look  like  you  had  lost  something." 

"No !"  answered  Steve,  quickly  recovering  his  wits. 
"I've  just  found  something." 

"What  have  you  found  ?"  inquired  Fred. 

"I've  found  out  that  a  man  can  be  as  dry  on  a  day 
in  March  as  he  can  in  the  middle  of  June.  Come  on 
over  to  Mike's," 

42 


Ill 

THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  the  crowded  cities  of  the  East 
to  the  boundless  prairies  of  the  West,  but  in  spite  of 
the  distance  the  conditions  in  one  place  affect  the  other. 
The  American  people  are  speed  mad,  for  which  the 
size  of  our  country  is  largely  responsible.  The  dis- 
tances are  so  great  that  we  must  have  quick  modes  of 
transit  if  we  hope  to  get  an3rwhere  or  do  anything  in 
the  short  time  allotted  to  us  here  on  earth.  Moses  and 
the  Children  of  Israel  spent  forty  years  wandering 
around  in  the  Wilderness  before  entering  the  Promised 
Land.  Some  of  our  present  day  Marathon  runners 
would  make  an  endurance  race  of  it  and  cover  the 
distance  in  three  or  four  days. 

So  in  pursuance  of  this  craze  for  speed  a  baker's 
dozen  of  men  in  a  certain  eastern  city  decided  to  install 
cable  cars  and  do  away  with  the  old  horse  car.  This 
was  the  first  step  and  since  then  many  have  been  taken. 
The  slow,  jerky^  cable  was  replaced  by  the  swiftly 
gliding  electric  cars,  and  now  even  these  are  aban- 
donded  to  the  common  herd.  The  rich  have  achieved 
exclusiveness  and  speed  through  the  medium  of  the 
automobile,  while  a  few  adventurous  spirits  shake  off 
the  dust  of  earth  and  sail  about  in  airships,  but  none 
of  these  later  changes  have  had  the  far-reaching  effect 
on  the  West  which  the  abandoning  of  the  horse  car  had. 

Up  to  that  time  the  horse  had  been  King  of  the 

43 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Plains.  In  fact  he  continued  to  be  king  for  a  number 
of  years  after,  but  with  this  difference  his  crown  had 
no  value.  However,  I  fancy,  tl^at  nvver  did  a  king 
yield  up  his  prestige  more  gladly,  for  it  meant  being 
shipped  East  in  vast  hordes  to  satisfy  the  rapacious 
monster  which  had  yearly  devoured  them  by  thousands, 
breaking  their  spirits  and  crushing  out  their  lives,  fol- 
lowing the  same  weary,  toilsome  trail  up  and  down  the 
narrow  streets,  day  in  and  day  out,  as  long  as  breath 
remained  in  their  body.  No  change,  no  variety,  only 
the  same  monotonous  grind.  The  little  bell  jingling 
and  the  old  car  bumping  along  behind. 

But  with  the  passing  of  the  horse  car  all  this  ended. 
Instead  they  were  left  on  the  plains  to  gambol  in  happy 
freedom  and  increase  prodigiously.  Year  after  year 
their  number  multiplied  until,  as  one  old  timer  put  it, 
"The  plains  were  lousey  with  horses."  They  grazed 
In  droves,  here,  there  and  everywhere. 

If  one  bunch  became  startled  and  commenced  to 
run  another  herd,  seeing  them,  would  toss  their  heads 
and  start  off,  kicking  up  a  cloud  of  dust.  This  would 
frighten  another  lot  and  they  would  communicate  their 
excitement  to  those  farther  off,  and  so  on  all  over  the 
prairie.    Horses  would  be  running  in  every  direction. 

Prices  went  lower  and  lower  and  that  of  cattle  went 
higher  and  higher  until  they  had  usurped  the  position 
that  the  horse  once  held,  and  the  cry  went  out  all 
over  the  land: 

"Away  with  the  horse!  He  is  eating  up  the  range 
from  the  cattle.  Le  roi  est  mort!  Vive  le  roi!"  So 
in  the  very  heart  of  his  empire  and  in  one  of  his  great- 
est strong-holds  his  downfall  was  planned. 

Now  most  of  the  ranchers  ran  both  horses  and  cattle, 
but  the  old  "B"  Ranch,  about  fifty  miles  East  of  Den- 
ver, on  Kjowa  Creek,  was  devoted  exclusively  to 
horses,  and  it  was  here  that  a  nimiber  of  ranchers  met 

44 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

one  day  in  mid-winter  and  planned  that,  with  the  open- 
ing of  spring,  there  should  be  one  general  round-up 
and  each  man  should  collect  his  horses  and  sell  them 
to  make  room  for  the  cattle.  This  decision  reached, 
the  men  departed,  spreading  the  tidings  over  a  radius 
of  about  a  hundred  miles. 

About  the  first  of  April,  as  soon  as  the  snow  went 
off  and  green  grass  appeared,  the  round-up  started. 
One  morning,  while  it  still  lacked  an  hour  or  two  of 
daylight,  Steve,  Blackie  and  Ira,  who  were  to  represent 
the  ** — G"  Ranch,  saddled  their  horses,  gathered  the 
twenty-five  or  thirty  head  that  were  to  furnish  them 
with  mounts  during  the  rotmd-up  and,  herding  them 
before  them,  set  out. 

Each  was  dressed  in  the  regulation  cowboy  costume 
of  leather  chaps,  boots,  spurs,  flannel  shirt  and  grey 
Stetson  hats,  with  the  inevitable  scarf  around  their 
necks,  while  tied  behind  their  saddles  were  the  in- 
dispensable yellow  slickers.  One  horse  carried  their 
beds,  which  were  done  up  in  a  compact  roll  and  each 
composed  of  two  or  three  pairs  of  blankets  and  a 
tarpaulin. 

"Which  way  are  we  headed?"  inquired  Ira,  who  had 
just  arrived  as  they  were  starting  and  had  not  heard 
any  of  their  plans. 

"We  are  goin'  to  the  Alton  Ranch,  about  twelve 
miles  southeast  of  here  and  start  with  them,  as  they 
are  sendin'  out  a  mess  wagon." 

"I've  heard  of  them,"  stated  Ira.  "They're  new- 
comers out  here,  ain't  they?" 

"Yes,  they've  only  been  out  here  a  few  years.  They 
had  a  ranch  down  by  Colorado  Springs  before,  but 
they  are  mighty  fine  people.     Everybody  likes  them." 

"I  wonder  if  they  will  take  old  what-you-may-call-it- 
in-there  with  them  on  the  round-up?"  inquired  Blackie, 

"Who's  that?"  asked  Ira. 
45 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

*^He'5  a  man  workin'  for  the  Alton's,^  said  Steve. 
"And  every  time  he  gets  a  little  excited  or  embarrassed 
he  says  Vhat-you-may-call-it-in-there/  He  mixes  it 
up  in  his  talk  so  much  that  everybody  calls  him  by  it." 

"What's  his  right  name?"  inquired  Ira. 

"Flint,  and  he's  a  good  man,  when  there  ain't  any- 
thing to  drink  handy,"  answered  Steve.  "But  when  he 
gets  about  half  full  he  goes  plumb  crazy,  and  always 
wants  to  whip  somebody." 

''Well,  I'd  think  he'd  get  plenty  to  accomodate  him," 
said  Ira,  laughing. 

"Oh  I  everybody  knows  he's  a  little  rattle  headed 
and  don't  pay  any  attention  to  him,"  said  Steve.  "He 
always  picks  a  time  when  he  has  some  friend  handy 
that  he  thinks  will  help  him  out  if  he  get's  more  than 
he  can  handle  and  if  someone  just  catches  hold  of  him 
and  tries  to  keep  him  from  fightin'  he'll  tug  and  pull, 
beggin'  them  to  let  him  go  so  he  can  fight.  One  time 
he  got  in  trouble  with  some  fellow  and  another  man 
was  holdin'  him  and  he  was  beggin'  them  to  let  him 
go  and  I  came  up.  I  told  them  to  let  him  go,  that  the 
other  fellow  was  about  his  size.  But  I  told  him,  *I 
ain't  goin'  to  help  you  Flint  if  he's  too  much  for  you.* 
At  that  Flint  began  to  cool  off  and  when  they  let  go 
and  the  other  fellow  made  a  pass  at  him  Flint  fell 
over  before  he  was  hit  and  began  to  hollar  enough." 

"Is  that  the  Alton  Ranch  ahead  of  us  ?"  inquired  Ira 
as  Steve  finished  speaking. 

"Yes,"  answered  Blackie,  "And  they  are  all  ready 
to  start.'* 

Ira  upon  looking  more  closely  said  with  surprise: 
"Ain't  that  a  woman  on  one  of  the  horses?" 

"Yes,"  said  Steve.    "That's  Marcia." 

"What's  she  doing  along?  Does  she  go  on  the 
round-up." 

"She  sure  does,"  said  Steve.    "She  and  Ned  are 

m 


STEVE  OF  THE  BAE  GEE  RANCH 

one  and  inseparable,  as  it  says  in  the  Constitutioa 
Wherever  you  see  one  there  you  will  find  the  other. 
If  Ned  is  on  the  round-up  she  rides  beside  him,  and 
if  he's  breakin'  horses  Marcia  has  one  end  of  the  rope 
twisted  round  a  snubbin'  post  holdin'  on.  Ned  says  she 
wears  out  as  many  pairs  of  ridin'  boots  and  Stetson 
hats  as  he  does,  and  uses  up  as  many  saddle  horses. 
She  wears  a  short  corduroy  skirt  most  of  the  time,  but 
if  the  work  gets  too  strenuous,  or  the  bronc  she  is  ridin* 
too  lively,  she  puts  on  a  pair  of  corduroy  pants  and 
goes  ahead.     She's  sure  all  right,**  said  Steve. 

"I  thought  some  one  said  she  was  an  Eastern  woman 
and  an  artist,"  said  Ira. 

"She  was,"  agreed  Steve,  "and  has  the  house  full  of 
pictures  she  painted  and,  accordin'  to  them  that  know, 
they  are  all  right.  I  don't  know  anything  about  art 
myself,  but  they  look  good  to  me." 

"How  did  she  ever  happen  to  drift  so  far  off  her 
natural  range?" 

"I  think  her  mother  and  Mrs.  Alton  were  old  friends 
and  Marcia  wanted  to  see  the  West  before  goin'  to 
Europe  to  study  art,  so  came  out  on  a  visit  and  that 
ended  the  artistic  career.  Instead  of  paintin'  life  she 
began  to  live  it.  She  had  a  mighty  fine  complexion 
when  she  came  out,  but  now  she  is  tanned  as  brown 
a.s  an  Indian,  but  that  doesn't  bother  her  a  bit." 

Just  then  Marcia  came  dashing  up  and  called  out 
in  a  ringing  tone. 

"Hello  there  Steve!  How  are  you  Blackie?"  And 
upon  being  introduced  to  Ira  slipped  off  her  thick  buck- 
skin glove  and  presented  a  long  slender  hand  in  greet- 
ing. 

"Hello !"  shouted  Flint  coming  up.  "What-you-may- 
call-it-in-there,  put  your  string  of  horses  in  the  west 
corral.    I'm  goin'  to  be  the  wrander." 

''Well,  I  don't  know  anybody  Detter  suited  for  the 
47 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

job,"  said  Steve,  laughing.  But  the  double  meaning 
of  the  word  was  lost  on  Flint,  who  could  barely  read 
and  write. 

"Marcia  whirled  her  horse  and  went  off  to  help  Ned, 
who  was  trying  to  hitch  up  two  snaky  little  mules  to 
the  chuck  wagon. 

"I  thought  you  said  Mrs.  Alton  did  not  take  any 
care  of  her  skin,"  said  Ira.  "Her  hand  was  as  soft  and 
white  as  any  one's  I  ever  saw." 

"I  was  speakin'  about  her  complexion.  She  takes 
good  care  of  her  hands,"  said  Steve  with  a  reminicent 
chuckle.  "If  they  haven't  got  a  cook  Ned  has  to  do 
it.  She  wears  thick  buckskin  gloves  all  the  time  and 
won't  go  near  the  stove.  One  time  when  I  was  over 
there  we  was  all  playin'  cards  and  Marcia  smelled  the 
roast  bumin'.  She  called  to  Ned,  'Say,  Ned,  don't 
you  think  that  roast  is  cookin'  too  much.'  And  he 
answered,  'Maybe  it  is,  Marcia,  you'd  better  look  at 
it'  'Indeed,  I'll  not  look  at  it  and  bum  my  hands  all 
up,'  answered  she  indignantly.  That  afternoon  we  was 
all  out  pitchin'  horse-shoes  and  Marcia's  mother,  who 
was  visiting  them,  came  in  and  said:  'Haven't  you 
all  washed  the  dishes  yet?  Well,  I'll  do  them  for 
you.*  'Don't  you  do  it,'  said  Marcia.  'First  thing 
you  know  Ned  won't  even  cook  dinner.* " 

'Them's  rather  dangerous  sentiments,  ain't  they.'*" 
inquired  Ira,  laughing.  "All  the  other  women  are  apt 
to  pattern  after  her." 

"Oh!  most  of  them  have  several  children  and  are 
too  busy,  but  they  all  envy  Marcia.  She  does  as  much 
work  outside  as  Ned  does  and  they  are  together  all 
the  time.  I  don't  know  any  other  couple  that  is  as 
happy  as  they  are,  so  it  seems  to  be  a  pretty  good 
plan.^* 

Soon  all  was  in  readiness  and  they  started  out. 
Marcia  on  horseback  and  Ned,  accompanied  by  Balle- 

48 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HOESE  EOUND-UP 

han,  the  cook,  driving  the  chuck  wagon.  Steve,  Ira, 
Blackie  and  Flint  driving  the  herd  of  fifty  or  sixty  head 
of  horses  that  were  to  furnish  mounts  for  them  on 
the  round-up,  each  one  having  from  eight  to  ten  horses 
apiece.  Even  then  they  might  have  to  send  back 
for  more  in  case  of  accident  or  some  of  their  horses 
playing  out. 

Steve  rode  up  alongside  of  the  wagon  and  seeing 
Ballehan,  said : 

"Hello,  Ballehan.    What  are  you  doin'  here?" 

"I'se  goin'  to  cook  for  de  outfit,"  said  Ballehan. 

"Well,  then  I'm  sure  we  will  be  well  fed,"  answered 
Steve  and,  turning  to  Ned,  he  inquired :  "Where  are 
we  goin'  to  camp?" 

"I  guess  we  will  stop  over  on  Wolfe  Creek  about  ten 
miles  from  here.  That's  where  the  fellows  who  are 
goin'  to  eat  with  us  are  cuttin'  out  to-day." 

"Where  did  they  get  the  coon  ?"  asked  Ira  as  Steve 
rode  back. 

"Oh,  that's  Ballehan.  He  has  a  ranch  of  his  own 
over  here.  He  came  out  here  several  years  ago  as  cook 
for  some  outfit  and  saved  up  his  money  until  he  got 
enough  to  start  up  for  himself.  He  has  quite  a  bunch 
of  horses  and  cattle  now,  but  he  still  likes  to  go  out 
as  cook  on  a  round-up.  He  keeps  a  bunk  house  where 
anybody  that  comes  along  is  welcome  to  stay.  Has  it 
specially  for  that  purpose.  We'll  probably  hit  their 
place  about  noon  some  day  and  get  dinner.  His  wife 
is  quite  a  character,  but  a  regular  old  Southern  cook, 
so  I  always  stop  when  I'm  anyways  near  there." 

The  place  Ned  had  selected  was  an  ideal  one  for 
a  camp  there  being  an  abundance  of  wood  and  water, 
with  plenty  of  grass  for  the  saddle  horses.  While 
Ballehan  was  getting  dinner  the  saddle  band  was 
bunched  and  thrown  into  a  quickly  constructed  corral 
made  by  attaching  an  end  of  a  rope  to  the  mess  wagon 

49 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

and  passing  to  two  or  three  cowboys  on  foot,  who  held 
it  so  as  to  form  a  circle. 

Each  man  soon  roped  the  horse  he  wanted  to  ride 
with  more  or  less  dexterity  and  then  began  the  fun. 
Every  one  always  took  their  toughest  horses  on  the 
round-up  and  this  meant  that  many  of  them,  although  it 
might  have  been  several  years  since  they  were  first 
ridden,  still  retained  their  youthful  propensity  to  buck 
when  freshly  saddled.  So  there  was  always  an  element 
of  excitement  and  uncertainty  in  changing  horses,  and 
the  spectacle  never  seemed  to  grow  old.  Each  unruly 
mount  was  greeted  with  a  chorus  of  delighted  laughter 
from  the  cowboys,  and  their  riders  did  not  seem  to 
be  much  disconcerted  and  no  matter  how  vicious  or 
unmanageable  his  horse  each  man  was  supposed  to  be 
mounted  and  ready  to  start  with  the  rest. 

Steve  had  selected  for  his  string  of  horses  those 
which  he  knew  to  be  possessed  of  the  greatest  endur- 
ance, paying  no  attention  to  the  fact  that  many  of 
them  disliked  a  saddle  so  much  that  they  tried  to  take 
it  off  at  every  opportunity.  This  first  day,  when  he 
was  ready,  he  made  a  quick  spring  into  the  saddle, 
without  even  so  much  as  touching  the  stirrup  and  at 
the  same  instant  his  horse  humped  his  back  and  started 
to  buck,  jumping  about  four  feet  from  the  ground. 
From  the  first  jump  it  could  be  seen  that  he  was  a 
past  master  at  the  art.  Instinctively  finding  the  stirrups 
with  his  feet  Steve's  lithe  body  swayed  with  the 
motions  of  the  horse  and  the  laughing  cowboys  shouted 
pertinent  instructions  such  as:  "Fan  him  with  your 
hat !     Stay  with  him  Steve !     Get  onto  the  curves  V* 

Blackie,  who  could  not  bear  to  see  Steve  attracting 
so  much  attention  and  wishing  to  divert  some  of  it  to 
himself  gave  a  quick  jerk  on  his  bridle  reins,  then  sud- 
denly loosened  them,  and  as  if  obeying  a  signal,  his 
horse  ducked  his  head,  reared  and  with  arched  back 

50 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

landed  stiif  legged  far  to  one  side.  Digging  in  his  spurs 
and  waving  his  hat  Blackie  urged  him  to  greater  effort, 
seeming  to  take  a  fierce  delight  in  each  fresh  contor- 
tion, until  the  frenzied  horse  reared  on  his  hind  legs 
and  thre'v  himself  over  backwards,  pinning  Blackie 
beneath  him.  On  the  instant  he  was  up  and  Blackie 
made  a  quick  jump,  but  his  spur  was  caught  in  the 
cinch  and  there  he  hung  suspended.  As  the  horse 
bounded  off  across  the  prairie  he  whirled  himself  over 
and  thrust  down  his  hands,  keeping  his  hand  from 
bumping  the  ground. 

The  now  sobered  cowboys  started  in  pursuit  and 
Steve,  riding  up,  tried  to  catch  the  dangling  rein ;  the 
horse  dodged  and  circling  around  ran  toward  Marcia. 
She,  cooly  whirled  her  rope  aloft  for  a  moment,  then 
threw  it  with  nice  precision,  and  the  wide  loop  settled 
around  the  neck  of  the  runaway,  choking  him  into 
submission. 

Blackie  kicked  his  feet  free  of  the  cinch  and  got  up 
all  intact,  except  for  a  few  cactus  needles  in  his  hands 
and  his  leg  slightly  bruised  where  the  horse  fell  on 
him.  After  this  the  cowboys  separated,  each  going  in 
the  direction  he  had  selected  to  cover  that  afternoon. 

Before  the  sun  went  down  the  riders  began  to  arrive 
singly  or  in  pairs,  suddenly  appearing  on  the  crest  of 
the  ridge,  or  picking  their  way  across  the  bed  of  the 
creek,  trying  to  avoid  the  treacherous  quicksands  which 
often  gave  way  beneath  them,  causing  their  horses  to 
plunge  and  scramble  to  keep  from  being  sucked  down 
and  hopelessly  mired. 

Each  one  brought  in  a  number  of  horses,  which 
were  bunched  and  herded  out  on  the  plains  by  a 
couple  of  cowboys.  After  supper  Ned  and  Marcia 
busied  themselves  erecting  a  small  tent  off  to  one  side 
behind  a  clump  of  trees,  which  was  the  only  con- 
cession made  to  Marcia's  sex.    In  all  else  she  took  the 

51 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

place  of  a  man,  going  always  with  Ned  and  could 
ride  and  rope  with  the  best  of  them. 

Horses  had  been  so  cheap  for  several  years  that 
many  people  had  not  taken  the  trouble  to  brand  the 
colts,  unless  there  should  chance  to  be  an  exceptionally 
fine  one,  so  that  in  every  bunch  of  horses  found,  there 
would  be  a  number  of  "Slicks,"  as  they  called  the 
unbranded  horses. 

One  night  after  they  had  been  riding  for  a  couple 
of  weeks,  the  tired  men  rode  into  camp,  pulled  the 
saddles  from  the  hot  and  steaming  backs  of  their  weary 
horses  and  turned  them  over  to  the  night  herder. 
Throwing  themselves  on  the  ground  around  the  camp- 
fire  they  began  rummaging  through  their  pockets  for 
chewing  tobacco,  or  cigarette  papers,  as  the  case  might 
be.  There  were  some  fifteen  or  twenty  of  them  loung- 
ing around  in  differetn  postures  of  ease.  After  awhile, 
Ira,  who  was  smoking  a  cigarette,  took  it  out  of  his 
mouth,  blew  a  few  rings  of  smoke  toward  the  sky, 
watched  them  dwindle  and  vanish  mto  nothingness,  and 
then  put  a  sort  of  general  query  to  the  crowd. 

*'What  are  you  folks  goin'  to  do  with  the  'Slicks'?'* 

"Blessed  if  I  know,''  answered  Ned.  "Guess  who- 
ever wants  'em  can  have  'em.  Nobody  has  any  spe- 
cial claim  to  'em,  although  they  might  belong  to  any 
of  us,  as  no  one  has  branded  for  several  years." 

"Why  not  play  poker  for  them  ?"  inquired  Blackie. 

"Say,  Blackie !"  said  Ed  Knox.  "You've  got  a  head 
on  you  like  a  tack.  We'll  just  do  that.  Has  anybody 
got  a  deck  of  cards  handy.'*" 

Several  greasy  and  much-thumbed  packs  were  pro- 
duced, but  just  then  supper  was  announced,  so  the 
game  was  postponed  until  after  they  had  eaten.  When 
they  were  through,  Steve  said: 

"I'm  going  to  hunt  up  a  lantern.    I  want  to  get  a 
52 


THE  LAST  GEEAT  HOKSE  KOUXDUP 

good  look  at  my  cards.    I  see  a  chance  to  go  in  the 
horse  business  right  now." 

They  spread  down  a  horse  blanket,  put  the  lantern 
in  the  middle,  and  seated  themselves  around  it.  Steve, 
Ned,  Ira,  Fred  Kjiox  and  two  cowboys  riding  for  the 
Lazy  Y  outfit,  were  in  one  group,  while  Blackie  and 
Flint  joined  the  other  group  playing  nearby.  Marcia 
who  hated  cards,  was  seated  behind  Ned  looking  on. 

"How'll  we  play?"  inquired  Ira. 

"Let's  put  up  a  horse  for  each  man  and  use  matches 
for  chips,"  suggested  Steve,  and  this  plan  was  adopted, 
each  man  taking  ten  matches.  They  played  along  for 
awhile,  laughing  and  joking  as  befitted  friends,  when 
suddenly  their  game  was  interrupted  by  loud  talking 
from  the  other  group,  and  looking  around  they  saw 
Blackie  drawing  his  gun  on  Flint. 

"What's  the  trouble  between  you  two?"  inquired 
Steve.    "Put  up  that  gun  Blackie." 

"You  go  to  hell,"  answered  Blackie.  "That  damned 
coward  says  I  cheated,  and  he's  got  to  prove  it  or 
eat  his  words." 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,"  stuttered  Flint. 
"Blackie  tihrowed  down  four  aces  in  takin'  a  trick,  and 
I  had  one." 

"Well,  where  did  you  get  yours?"  sneered  Blackie. 

"Let's  see  the  deck,"  said  Steve.  But  as  Blackie 
had  caught  his  foot  on  the  blanket  when  he  jumped  up 
after  drawing  his  gun  on  Flint  the  cards  were  scat- 
tered in  every  direction.  They  all  helped  pick  them  up, 
but  search  as  they  would  the  extra  ace  could  not  be 
found  and  Blackie  again  drawing  his  gun  on  Flint  said : 

"Now  you  damned  liar,  eat  them  words." 

"Hold  on,"  said  Steve.  "We  don't  know  that  he 
lied.  We  don't  know  it  I  say,"  looking  at  Blackie 
meaningly.  "So  you  had  better  drop  that  gun  until  wc 
do/' 

53 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Blackic  glared  at  Steve  with  baffled  hate  and  fury 
in  his  look,  but  dropped  his  gun  back  into  his  belt 
and  walked  off.  After  that  they  played  every  eve- 
ning, and  had  no  more  difficulty.  Steve  had  a  run  of 
luck,  and  received  much  chaffing  about  his  collection 
of  horses. 

One  morning  Ned  asked :  "What's  the  matter  with 
your  string  Steve?  They  seem  all  played  out. 
Thought  you  said  you  brought  a  good  bunch  of  horses 
with  you." 

"I  did,"  answered  Steve.  "I'm  doin'  some  ridin'. 
Whenever  I  see  a  man  quit  a  snaky  bunch  of  horses 
he  is  tryin'  to  drive  up,  I  go  after  'em.  I  want  to  get 
every  one  of  our  horses  this  year,  and  the  more  that 
are  brought  in  the  more  of  ours  will  show  up." 

"I  wondered  how  it  was  you  brought  in  such  big 
bunches  every  day." 

"Well,  that's  the  reason,  and  I'm  ridin'  hard  to  get 
them." 

"Well,  a  man  with  as  many  horses  as  you  have  ought 
not  to  be  a-foot.  Why  don't  you  break  a  few  of  your 
slicks?"  inquired  Ned  suggestively,  with  a  wink  at  Ira. 

"All  right,  I  believe  I  will,"  assented  Steve. 

"When  are  you  goin'  to  do  it?  Will  you  let  me 
pick  the  horse?" 

"Sure,  go  ahead.  I'll  ride  it  to-night  when  I  get 
back." 

"Which  way  are  you  goin'  to-day  ?    inquired  Marcia. 

"Think  I'll  go  over  by  Ballehan's." 

"So  are  we,"  said  Ned.  "Let's  meet  there  for 
dinner." 

"Yes,  do,"  said  Marcia.  "I  just  love  to  get  Mandy 
started  telling  how  she  and  Louis  got  married." 

When  noon  came,  Steve,  Ned  and  Marcia  rode  up, 
and  while  they  were  putting  the  horses  they  had  gath- 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

ered  in  the  corral,  Ballehan's  wife  came  running  out 
and  exclaimed : 

"Fo'  de  Lawd's  sakcl  If  dere  ain't  Mr.  Alton  and 
Mrs.  Alton  and  Mr.  Steve.  Come  right  in,  while  ah 
gets  you-all  some  dinnah." 

'*Don't  put  yourself  to  any  trouble,  Mandy,"  said 
Marcia. 

*'Dat's  all  right.  Dat's  all  right,  honey,"  said  Mandy, 
bustling  about.  "Dis  old  niggah  ain'  goin'  to  hurt 
herself.''  But  presently  when  Marcia  came  in  from 
helping  Ned  and  Steve  water  the  horses,  she  found 
Mandy  beating  and  stirring  vigorously. 

*'What  are  you  making,  Mandy?'  'inquired  Marcia. 

"Ise  makin'  some  of  dat  dere  may-yondays  (Mayon- 
naise) dressin',  Mrs.  Alton,  for  dis  yere  lettuce.  Do 
you  like  may-yondays  dressin'?" 

"Yes,  I  like  it  pretty  well,"  said  Marcia. 

"Well,  seh,  ain'  dat  funny  ?  Mos'  ingeniously,  every- 
body likes  may-yondays  dressin'.  Ebber  where  ah 
ebber  worked  dey  liked  hit." 

"Where  did  you  used  to  live?"  asked  Marcia. 

"I'se  done  come  from  Georgia,  Mrs.  Alton." 

"That  is  a  long  way  from  here,  Mandy.  How  did 
you  ever  happen  to  get  so  far  from  home?"  inquired 
Marcia,  wishing  to  draw  her  out. 

"Yassum.  dat's  quaite  a  ways  from  heyh.  But  ah 
done  comed  out  heyh  fo'  mah  health,"  said  Mandy, 
proudly.  "Yassum,  ah  done  got  dat  sumption,  and 
de  peoples  dat  ah  wucked  for  done  bought  me  a  ticket 
an'  sent  me  out  heyh  to  Denvah.  Bimby  ole  Mars 
Anderson,  what  runs  de  hotel  in  Kiowa,  comded  to 
Denvah  lookin'  fo'  a  cook  and  ah  got  de  job. 

"One  day,  when  ah's  hahed  at  wuck  in  de  kitchen  a 
niggah  stuck  his  haid  in  at  de  do'  an'  hollered  out: 
'Whah's  Mars  Anderson?*  Ah  declare  fo  goodness, 
ah's  so  'sprised  ah  neahly  fell  ovah.    Dat  was  de  fust 

65 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH    ^ 

cuUuhd  pusaen  ah'd  done  seen  since  ah'd  left  Denvah ; 
an'  my,  but  wasn't  he  some  scrum'tous  lookin',  humm ! 
yuum!"  said  Mandy,  reminicently.  "Had  a  yaller 
handkercher  'round  his  naik,  dem  luther  chaps  on  his 
laigs,  an'  a  great  big  pistol  stropped  'round  his  waist. 
I'se  done  been  'gaged  to  a  niggah  down  South,  but 
shucks,  honey,  dem  odder  niggahs  nevah  looked  good 
to  me  no  mo'.  But  ah  nevah  let  on  to  dat  niggah.  No, 
seh.    Ah  just  put  on  mah  dignaty  an'  says : 

"  'Wah  f o'  you-all  yelling  so  niggah  ?  I'se  ain'  deef . 
Who  you-all  t'ink  ah  is,  nohow?' 

"  *Ah  tink  you'se  a  servent  same  as  ah  is,'  said  he 
mighty  sassy.    'What  you-all  tink  you  is,  a  lady  ?' 

**  'Don'  you  git  sassy,  niggah.  I'se  ain'  afraid  of  you. 
Ah's  seen  dem  guns  befo'.' 

"Wid  dat  he  jerked  out  dat  gun  and  pinted  hit  at 
me,  an'  ah  let  out  a  screech  an'  fell  ovah  backwards. 
Yasstun,  an'  dat  niggah  picked  me  up  an'  gib  me  a 
great  big  smack  right  squah  on  de  mouf.  Ah  done  pre- 
tend to  faint  some  mo'  den,  an'  he  kept  a  kissin'  ob  me, 
an'  ah  kept  a  screechin'  an'  a  faintin',  until  bimby 
ole  Mars  Anderson  stuck  his  haid  in  at  de  do',  an' 
said: 

"  'Heyh,  you  niggah.  Let  go  mah  cook.  Ah  done 
thot  when  ah  got  a  culluhd  cook  ah  cood  keep  her 
fo'  awhile.  Ebber  white  one  ah  done  gets  out  heyh 
done  mahries  inside  ob  two  weeks.  Whah  did  you-all 
come  from  niggah?'  aixed  Mars  Anderson,  mighty 
mad. 

"  'I'se  wukin'  fo'  de  Cross  Bah  Cross  outfit/  said 
Ballehan  mighty  scaid. 

"  'Well,  you  stay  out  ob  dis  kitchen,'  said  Mars 
Anderson. 

"But  shucks,  honey,  all  dat  obbositionen  just  made 
dat  niggah  dat  much  wuss.  He  went  out  an'  bimby 
ah's  done  hear  sompin'  tappin'  on  de  windo'  an'  when 

56 


THE  LAST  GEEAT  HORSE  ROXJKD  Tip 

ah  looked  aroun'  dat  niggah  was  standin'  dab  bccknin' 
fo*  me  to  come  out  do's.  Wehn  ah  went  out  he  said: 
'Come  on,  Mandy,  let's  get  mahed.  I'se  done  got  dc 
liscense,  and  de  jedge  am  home.' 

"  *Why  fo'  you-all  in  such  a  hurry,  niggah,'  sez  ah, 
pretendin'  I'se  mighty  skittinish.  'Ah's  got  to  put  on 
mah  new  red  dress.'  Yassum,  dat  dress  was  some 
scrum'tous.  Was  all  trimmed  up  wid  blue  and  yaller 
beads.  But  what  a  old  fool  dis  niggah  is.  I'se  done 
talked  and  let  de  biscuits  bun. 

"You-all  draw  up  yo'  cheers  now.  Ah  ain'  got 
nothin'  fit  to  eat  hardly,"  said  Mandy  depreciatingly, 
although  she  had  loaded  the  table  with  all  kinds  of 
jellies  and  preserves,  which  she  had  put  up  out  of  wild 
fruits. 

"Whyfo'  didn'  you-all  let  me  know  when  you-all  was 
comin'  an'  ah'd  had  a  cake  made  and  killed  a  chicken." 

"We  couldn't,  Mandy,"  answered  Ned.  "But  you 
have  a-plenty.  If  we  had  this  much  everyday,  we 
would  get  so  fat  and  lazy  we  wouldn't  want  to  work." 

"Don'  dat  niggah  feed  you-all  good?"  inquired 
Mandy,  indignantly.  "Ah'l  lambast  him  good  when  he 
gets  home." 

"Oh,  it  ain't  his  fault,  Mandy,"  answered  Steve, 
laughing.  "He  don't  have  all  these  nice  things  to  cook, 
you  know.     And  all  this  jelly  and  preserves." 

"Well,  you-all  just  let  me  know  if  he  don'  gib  you-all 
plenty  to  eat." 

When  they  reached  camp  that  night,  in  spite  of  their 
being  tired  from  the  hard  day's  ride,  Steve  and  Ned 
after  throwing  the  horses  they  had  gathered  that  day, 
in  the  general  herd,  rode  among  them  to  pick  out  a 
horse  for  Steve  to  ride. 

Ned  looked  closely,  trying  to  find  one  among  Steve's 
slicks  that  showed  special  evidence  of  being  a  good 

57 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  &'  KANCH 

bucker,  and  finally  throwing  his  rope,  caught  a  snaky 
looking  light  gray,  which  immediately  ran  back 
the  full  length  of  the  rope.  Ned's  horse  braced  his 
feet,  the  other  pulled  back,  and  began  to  emit  a  chok- 
ing, wheezing  sound,  as  the  tightened  rope  shut  off  his 
wind.  Steve  cautiously  walked  up,  carrying  his  sad- 
dle, and  as  he  was  about  to  put  it  on  the  horse  began 
to  kick  and  lunge,  striking  out  with  his  fore  feet.  At 
this  several  of  the  cowboys  ran  up  to  assist  them.  One 
caught  hold  of  the  horse's  ear  and  twisted  it,  while 
another  slipped  a  rope  halter  over  its  head,  and  blind- 
folded its  eyes. 

At  this  the  horse  stood  quiet  for  awhile,  in  apparent 
subjection,  then  quickly  gathering  itself  together,  as 
it  felt  the  cinch  tighten,  it  sprang  up,  shaking  its  head, 
and  with  a  lunge  fell  prostrate  on  the  ground.  Steve 
finished  buckling  the  cinch,  and  then  tying  the  loose 
end  of  the  rope  halter  to  the  other  side  of  the  nose- 
piece  to  act  as  reins,  he  attempted  to  make  the  horse 
get  on  his  feet,  but  he  had  become  sullen,  and  only 
rolled  over  on  his  stomach.  Steve  seated  himself  in 
the  saddle,  and  when  the  horse  felt  his  weight,  he  arose 
with  a  bound,  scattering  cowboys  in  every  direction. 
He  reared  to  his  hind  feet  and  stood  poised  for  a 
moment,  as  if  undecided  whether  to  go  backward  oi 
forward,  and  at  last  decided  to  do  neither,  but  with 
a  quick  turn  in  the  air,  landed  with  his  head  pointing 
in  the  direction  his  tail  had  been  but  a  second  before. 
This  he  repeated  several  times,  bawling  at  every  turn 
and  landing  with  humped  back  and  rigid  legs. 

**He's  a  pin-wheeler,"  observed  Fred  Knox.  "But 
old  Steve  is  stay  in'  with  him." 

"The  horse  whirled  around  and  around,  Steve  all  the 
while  fanning  him  with  his  hat,  and  at  last  deciding 
that  he  could  not  throw  him  that  way,  gave  it  up  and 
ran  off  across  the  prairie.    Then  others  decided  they 

58 


THE  LAST  GBEAT  HORSE  ROUKD-XJP 

would  break  some  of  their  horses,  and  as  the  evening 
twilight  stole  on,  such  a  broncho-busting  contest  was 
enacted  as  no  city  audience  ever  saw.  There  were  no 
unaccustomed  sights  or  sounds  to  puzzle  or  distract 
their  attention.  The  only  unusual  thing  was  those 
whooping,  howling  savages,  that  stuck  like  a  burr  to 
their  backs.  Only  now  and  then  one  would  be  dis- 
lodged, and  the  triumphant  horse  would  gallop  off  to 
a  brief  enjoyment  of  his  hard-earned  freedom.  Some 
horseman  would  ride  out  and  after  a  long  chase  drive 
him  back  to  camp,  where  he  w^ould  be  again  roped 
and  with  great  difficulty  relieved  of  the  troublesome 
saddle. 

Ira,  who  was  a  fine  rider;  went  up  to  one  of  the 
boys  who  had  been  thrown  and  said : 

"Come  here,  I  want  to  show  you  where  you  made 
your  mistake.  You  see  the  horse  bucked  straight 
ahead  until  he  got  right  about  here,  and  then  he 
changed  his  mind  and  decided  to  go  in  the  opposite 
direction,  and  you  went  on.  That's  where  you  made 
yonv  mistake.  You'd  ought  to  have  changed  your 
mind  when  the  horse  did." 

"That's  so,"  answered  the  fellow,  laughing. 

The  next  morning  dawned  gray  and  foggy,  and  along 
about  noon  it  seemed  that  the  clouds  opened  and  the 
rain  came  down  in  torrents.  Many  of  the  cowboys 
rode  into  camp  during  the  drenching  downpour.  After 
the  rain  ceased,  the  sun  came  out,  and  they  saw  that 
the  Bijou,  upon  which  they  were  camped,  was  full  of 
water.  Like  its  fellows  for  most  of  the  year  it  was 
a  dry  bed  of  sand,  with  perhaps  a  narrow  thread  of 
water  creeping  along  its  length,  except  as  happened 
to-day,  there  came  a  sudden  heavy  shower,  or  a  cloud- 
burst up  stream.  Then  a  wall  of  water  would  come 
rushing  down,  filling  its  banks,  and  overflowing  the 
meadows  along  its  course,  until  the  drooping  boughs  of 

59 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

the  willows  and  grasses  would  be  immersed  in  its 
turbulent  waters. 

Blackie  noting  its  overflowing  banks,  remarked :  **I 
believe  I'll  take  my  annual  bath/' 

"That's  a  right  good  idea,"  drawled  Fred  Knox. 
"Guess  I  will,  too.  We'll  have  plenty  of  time  before 
Ned  and  Marcia  get  back,  even  if  they  come.  They 
said  they  might  go  to  the  ranch  while  they  were  over 
in  that  direction." 

The  rest  of  the  cowboys  were  quick  to  follow  suit, 
and  stripping  off  their  wet  clothes,  hung  them  on  the 
branches  of  the  willows  to  be  dried  by  the  sun  and 
wind.  They  splashed  about  for  awhile  in  the  swiftly 
moving  stream,  until  Steve  glancing  out  across  the 
prairie,  saw  two  riders  appear  in  the  distance.  Upon 
looking  closely  he  decided  that  it  was  Ned  and  Marcia, 
so  he  quietly  waded  out  among  the  trees,  collected  his 
clothing  and  dressed.  Then  gathering  the  clothing  of 
the  rest,  and  mounting  a  horse  that  was  standing 
nearby,  he  shouted : 

"There  comes  Ned  and  Marcia,"  and  galloped  off 
with  their  clothes. 

The  cowboys  that  were  sitting  on  the  bank  basking 
in  the  warm  sun,  scrambled  back  into  the  water,  and 
sat  down,  imploring  Steve  to  bring  back  their  clothes. 
At  last  relenting,  he  threw  them  down  and  rode  out 
to  halt  Ned  and  Marcia  until  the  rest  were  again  fit 
to  appear  in  civilized  society.  When  he  reached  them, 
Marcia  said: 

"Here,  Steve,  is  a  chance  for  you.  Fve  just  received 
a  letter  from  a  girl  friend  of  mine  and  she  says  she 
is  coming  out  to  visit  me." 

"When  is  she  coming.''"  inquired  Steve,  much  in- 
terested. 

"About  the  middle  of  June.  Here's  her  letter.  Fll 
read  it  to  you." 

60 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

My  dear  Marcia:  As  I  was  taking  a  walk  through 
Central  Park  this  morning,  I  saw  a  policeman  be- 
longing to  the  Mounted  Squad  standing  beside  his 
horse,  which  was  a  light,  sorrel  thoroughbred,  and 
my  desire  to  mount  it  and  go  for  a  ride  was  so  great 
that  I  could  hardly  pass.  The  horse  seemed  to  un- 
derstand my  longing  for  he  started  to  walk  out  to  me. 
This  incident  made  me  remember  your  oft-repeated 
invitation  to  visit  you  on  your  ranch,  so  if  it  is  con- 
venient to  you,  I  believe  I  will  take  advantage  of  it 
and  come  and  see  you  this  summer. 

I  am  all  run  down  from  too  close  application  to 
my  work,  and  the  doctor  has  advised  me  to  take  a 
rest,  hence  my  walk  in  the  park  this  morning. 

My  aunt  from  Boston  will  visit  mother  and  take 
care  of  her  for  the  summer.  So  I  am  able  for  the 
first  time  to  follow  my  own  sweet  will  and  answer 
the  call  of  my  spirit,  which  had  I  been  free  to  indulge 
it,  would  long  ago  have  lured  me  to  Colorado.  For 
to  me  it  has  always  been  the  land  of  romance,  with 
its  gold  and  wild,  free  life. 

I  could  come  about  the  middle  of  June  if  it  would 
suit  you.    Be  sure  and  have  plenty  of  handsome  cow- 
boys on  tap,  as  I  am  tired  of  the  kind  of  men  pro- 
duced by  the  effete  East. 
Anxiously  awaiting  your  reply,  I  am,  as  ever. 
Yours  lovingly, 

ELOISE. 
When  she  had  finished,  Steve  said  musingly:    "So 
the  West  has  been  calling  her,  has  it?     What  is  her 
work  she  speaks  about  .'^" 

"She  is  an  illustrator,"  said  Marcia.  "She  and  I 
went  to  art  school  together." 

As  they  were  nearing  camp  it  began  to  rain  in  a 
slow,  dreary  drizzle,  and  when  supper  was  over,  the 
cowboys,  removing  their  boots,  crawled  between  their 

61 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

blankets  in  their  wet  and  soggy  clothes.  Steve  and 
Ira,  who  were  bunking  together,  in  the  dark,  had  acci- 
dently  made  their  beds  in  a  little  hollow,  which  as  the 
rain  increased,  soon  collected  enough  water  to  run 
over  their  tarpaulin.  They  both  slept  on  for  awhile, 
but  as  the  water  flowed  in  their  bed,  Ira  began  to  dream 
that  they  were  on  a  raft  floating  in  mid-ocean,  and 
the  raft  struck  a  rock.  At  this  he  awoke,  and  heard 
the  thunder  rumbling  in  the  distance,  and  saw  an  old 
tree  which  had  been  struck  by  lightning  commence  to 
bum.  Steve  awoke  also,  and  finding  their  bedding  was 
hopelessly  wet,  inquired: 

"What  are  we  going  to  do  now?" 

"Maybe  we  can  crawl  in  with  some  of  the  others," 
suggested  Ira,  and  this  he  proceeded  to  do. 

But  as  Steve  went  about  from  one  group  to  an- 
other, they  all  seemed  to  be  rolled  up  tight  in  their 
blankets,  so  he  could  not  get  in  with  them.  Finally 
he  found  several  fellows  that  had  put  their  bedding 
together,  and  tried  to  crawl  in  beside  them,  but  as 
there  was  not  room  he  lifted  the  covers,  climbed  in  on 
top,  and  slept  there  all  night.  The  cowboys  under- 
aeath  him,  squirming  and  groaning,  but  kept  in  place 
by  the  others  closely  wedged  alongside  of  them. 

At  last  they  had  rounded  up  all  the  horses  on  their 
allotted  sweep  of  range.  Each  day  as  they  gathered 
they  would  throw  the  horses  in  one  herd,  and  when  it 
became  too  large  and  unwieldly  they  drove  them  to 
some  corral  and  worked  them  over,  turning  loose  on 
the  range  again  those  belonging  to  some  rancher  who 
did  not  wish  to  sell.  The  rest  would  be  cut  out,  and 
each  bunch  sent  home  in  care  of  two  or  three  cowboys. 

It  had  been  previously  decided  that  all  the  horses 
that  were  collected  near  the  "B"  Ranch,  that  is  within 
a  radius  of  forty  or  fifty  miles,  should  be  driven  there 

62 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HOESE  ROUND-UP 

and  worked  over  in  their  immense  corrals  which  cov- 
ered an  area  of  fifteen  or  twenty  acres.  So  early  one 
morning,  the  latter  part  of  May,  the  Altons'  mess 
wagon  set  out  followed  by  the  cowboys  belonging  to 
their  outfit  who,  shouting  and  galloping,  herded  before 
them  the  many  hundred  head  of  horses. 

Many  similar  outfits  had  been  working  on  different 
parts  of  the  range,  and  all  were  to  meet  at  the  "B" 
Ranch  on  a  specified  date. 

It  was  an  unusually  hot  day  for  tlie  time  of  year, 
and  the  merciless  rays  of  the  sun  beat  down  upon 
the  prairie,  making  the  air  vibrate  with  waves  of  heat, 
which  danced  before  the  tired  eyes  of  the  weary  cow- 
boys. All  about,  hanging  cloudwise  around  them,  were 
myriads  of  tiny  gnats.  These  settled  greedily  upon 
their  heads  and  shoulders,  biting  and  stinging,  and  in 
the  windless  heat  could  not  be  eluded. 

Now  and  then  a  cloud  passing  over  the  sun  would 
throw  a  grateful  shadow  across  their  path,  or  a  cool 
breeze  would  blow  for  a  time  and  carry  away  the  tiny 
pests  that  hovered  over  them,  only  to  die  down  and 
expose  them  again  to  the  torture  of  heat  and  pests. 
But  short  though  the  respites,  they  enabled  the  horses 
as  well  as  the  men  to  better  endure  the  trip  and  bear  the 
parching  thirst  that  all  the  while  consumed  them. 

Only  once  during  the  morning  had  they  come  across 
a  little  pool,  shimmering  in  the  bright  sunlight.  The 
thirsty  horses  rushed  upon  it,  the  leaders  pausing  ac 
instant  to  take  a  quick  mouthful  of  the  tender  gras! 
about  its  edge,  waded  in,  and  crowding  and  trampling, 
churned  its  clear  depth  into  yellow  mud  before  any 
could  quench  their  thirst. 

At  noon  they  made  camp  on  a  dry  sandy  gulch,  where 
they  found  enough  water  for  cooking  purposes  and 
saddle  horses  by  digging  a  few  feet  below  the  bed,  bul 

§3 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

there  was  not  enough  for  the  herd.  This  did  not 
occasion  the  cowboys  much  worry  as  they  supposed 
they  could  water  them  when  they  reached  the  "B" 
Ranch  sometime  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 

Now  when  they  had  planned  to  gather  all  the  horses 
in  that  vicinity  in  one  general  round-up  and  then  work 
them  over,  no  one  had  any  idea  what  a  vast  under- 
taking it  was  going  to  be.  Everybody  knew  there  were 
lots  of  horses,  but  no  one  dreamed  that  any  locality 
would  yield  the  numbers  that  began  to  pour  into  the 
"B"  Ranch  from  every  direction. 

Soon  all  the  corrals  were  comfortably  full,  and  still 
they  came.  Then  they  became  packed  with  horses, 
kicking,  squealing  and  neighing.  Mares  became  sep- 
arated from  their  colts,  never  to  find  them  again,  and 
the  latter  perished  by  hundreds  and  nobody  cared. 

It  was  impossible  to  water  them  at  first,  and  they 
were  too  much  excited  to  drink  even  if  it  were,  so, 
consequently,  numbers  got  lockjaw,  and  others  were 
trampled  under  foot.  They  were  crowded  so  closely 
in  the  corrals  that  no  one  could  get  among  them  to 
cut  them  out,  so  at  last  they  decided  to  drive  them 
out  on  the  prairie  and  work  them  over  out  there. 

Did  you  ever  watch  a  colony  of  ants  working?  At 
first  glance  they  seem  to  be  running  about  with  no  rea- 
son or  order  in  their  labor,  and  to  the  uninitiated  the 
round-up  presented  much  the  same  appearance.  Horse- 
men rode  around  among  the  corrals,  seemingly  in  aim- 
less confusion,  but  upon  looking  closely  it  could  be 
seen  that  each  one  was  going  about  his  business,  and 
had  some  definite  duty  to  perform. 

They  would  drive  out  of  the  corrals  from  four  to 
five  hundred  at  a  time,  take  them  out  on  the  prairie 
and,  when  the  different  outfits  had  stationed  them- 
selves around  them,  it  looked  like  a  huge  wheel    The 

U 


THE  LAST  GEE  AT  HORSE  EOUND-UP 

herd  was  the  hub,  from  which  the  riders  who  were 
cutting  out,  kept  a  constant  stream  of  horses  going 
in  every  direction. 

The  Altons,  Steve  and  Blackie,  and  the  Knox  boys, 
who  lived  near  each  other  (that  is,  near  for  the  West, 
being  about  ten  miles  apart),  decided  to  put  their 
horses  as  they  were  cut  out  all  in  one  herd.  Early 
the  next  morning  they  drove  in  their  saddle  band  and 
each  one  selected  for  his  mount  some  horse  among  his 
string  which  he  knew  to  be  an  especially  good  cutting 
horse.  This  meant  that  he  must  be  exceedingly  quick, 
and  handy;  able  to  stop  and  turn  on  the  instant  and 
dart  about  like  a  flash. 

Steve,  Ira,  Ed  and  Ned  were  to  do  the  cutting  out 
of  their  horses.  As  they  rode  among  the  different 
herds,  whenever  they  saw  one  or  more  horses  belong- 
ing to  either,  would  gradually  work  it  toward  the  edge, 
and  when  they  had  it  outside  would  endeavor  to  chase 
it  off  to  where  Blackie,  Marcia,  Fred  and  Flint  were 
to  guard  them.  This  was  no  easy  matter,  as  the  horses 
half  frenzied  from  hunger  and  thirst,  did  their  best 
to  break  away,  and  would  double  back  and  twist  and 
turn  at  the  most  unexpected  moments. 

After  they  were  bunched  they  seethed  about,  and 
maddened  by  the  unusual  press  and  confusion,  which 
presaged  they  knew  not  what  terrors  for  the  future, 
struggled  incessantly  to  get  away,  and  again  enjoy 
their  old  delightful  freedom. 

Frantic  mothers  lamented  the  loss  of  their  foals,  and 
strove  constantly  to  go  in  search  of  them,  and  to  pre- 
vent this  kept  the  riders  who  were  holding  them  so 
busy,  that,  as  the  bunch  increased,  two  or  three  more 
cowboys  had  to  be  added  to  the  guard,  and  Steve  sent 
home  for  a  couple  of  his  younger  brothers. 

The  fine  alkali  dust  rose  like  a  fog,  through  which 
the  sun  shone  with  ever-increasing  intensity,  until  late 

65 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

in  the  afternoon  a  sort  of  hush  fell  over  the  prairie. 
The  sun  was  darkened  by  a  cloud,  and  a  heavy  shower 
cooled  the  air.  The  weary  cowboys  paddled  about  like 
a  lot  of  delighted  ducks,  and  the  horses,  soothed  and 
refreshed,  quieted  down.  When  the  rain  was  over  they 
drove  them  out  in  large  bunches  and  watered  them  in 
the  now  flooded  creek. 

Soon  the  camp  fires  began  to  blink  out  of  the  gath- 
ering dusk,  dotting  the  plains  in  a  large  circle. 
Around  these  the  cowboys  gathered.  Acquaintances 
of  years  met  and  exchanged  greetings,  swapped  stories, 
played  poker,  and  took  many  a  daredevil  ride  on 
rearing,  plunging  horses. 

An  element  of  sadness  would  now  and  then  drift 
through  the  conversation  of  the  more  thoughtful,  and 
there  would  be  heard  such  remarks  as :  "The  good  old 
days  are  passing?"  Or  another  would  observe :  *'We'li 
never  see  so  many  horses  together  again.  The  range 
is  closing  up,  and  soon  the  cowboy  will  be  a  thing 
of  the  past." 

"How  many  horses  do  you  reckon  are  gathered  in 
this  round-up?"  asked  Walter  Milton  of  a  bystander, 
as  they  were  all  as  usual  speculating  upon  the  number. 

"Oh,  my,  I  don't  know,"  said  the  bystander.  "It's 
hard  to  tell.  The  estimates  range  all  the  way  from 
ten  to  fifty  thousand.  They  say  these  corrals  cover 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  acres  and,  if  that  is  the  case, 
the  way  they  are  packed  there  are  lots  of  horses.  I 
have  a  corral  at  home  that  takes  in  about  one  acre, 
and  there  have  often  been  two  thousand  horses  in  it  at 
a  time.  And  when  this  round-up  is  over,  and  each 
man  markets  his  horses,  the  area  of  the  horse  is  ended, 
never  to  be  revived.  It  is  the  beginning  of  the  end/' 
said  he  with  a  sigh. 

"Well,  it  had  to  be,"  said  Ed  Knox.  "They  are  not 
66 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

worth  anything  any  more,  and  we'll  have  more  room 
to  run  cattle." 

"Yes,  if  there  are  any  cattle  left  to  run,"  answered 
Steve.  "The  way  the  rustlers  are  workin'  through  the 
country  there  soon  won't  be  any  cattle  left  on  the 
range." 

"We'll  have  to  settle  with  them  after  we  get  these 
horses  disposed  of,"  said  Milton.  "They  are  gettin' 
too  bold.  If  one  or  two  were  swung  up  it  would  quiet 
thfjxn  down  a  little." 

When  they  began  to  talk  of  cattle  rustlers,  Blackie, 
who  was  sitting  near,  became  restless  and  began  to 
move  about.  At  this  remark  from  Milton,  he  said: 
"Yes,  but  they'll  have  to  catch  them  before  they  hang 
em 

Just  then  Steve's  younger  brothers  rode  up,  and  one 
of  them  handed  him  a  letter. 

"Ah,  ha!"  said  Ira,  looking  over  Steve's  shoulder. 
"From  California,  I  see.  When  is  Miss  Little  coming 
back?" 

"Is  she  going  to  come  back  in  time  to  be  out  to 
our  picnic  the  Fourth  of  July?"  asked  Marcia. 

"She  said  when  she  left  that  she  was,"  answered 
Steve. 

"Well,  Miss  Parker,  my  friend  from  New  York  will 
be  here  then  too,  so  you  boys  must  all  be  sure  and 
come,"  said  iviarcia. 

"Yes,  we  must  all  be  there,  because  she  said  she 
wanted  Marcia  to  have  a  lot  of  handsome  cowboys 
on  hand,"  remarked  Steve,  laughing. 

"Have  you  staked  out  that  claim  too?"  inquired  Ira, 
"Ain't  one  enough?" 

"Oh,  the  right  man  can  always  pull  up  the  stakes/' 
sneered  Blackie, 

§7 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

"Sure,  the  right  man  can,"  assented  Steve.  "But  I 
don't  believe  he's  in  this  crowd." 

At  last  the  round-up  was  over  and  the  different  out- 
fits started  homeward,  herding  their  horses  before 
them.  One  by  one  the  neighbors,  who  had  bunched 
their  horses  together,  cut  out  theirs  as  they  neared  their 
ranch,  until  at  last  there  were  left  only  the  " — G" 
horses. 

"How  many  have  you?"  inquired  Ira. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Steve.  "Let's  count  them 
as  they  cross  that  gulch."  And  riding  forward  they 
formed  the  herd  into  a  wide-spreading  "V"  and  as 
they  neared  the  crossing  the  rest  of  the  cowboys  forced 
the  horses  to  pass  in  single  file  between  Ira  and  Steve, 
who  had  stationed  themselves  in  the  wide  sandy  bed 
of  the  gulch,  and  kept  tally  of  the  horses  as  they  crossed 
one  behind  the  other,  and  then  spread  out  over  the 
prairie  and  went  to  grazing. 

"How  many  did  you  make  it?"  asked  Steve. 

"I  counted  four  hundred  and  eighty-five.  How  does 
that  tally  with  your  count?" 

"I  made  it  four  hundred  and  ninety  head,"  stated 
Steve,  "but  that  is  close  enough." 

"What  are  you  goin'  to  do  with  them  when  you  get 
them  home?" 

"We'll  put  them  in  the  two  big  pastures  east  of  the 
house,  and  hold  thiem  there  until  we  sell  them.  I  am 
expecting  a  buyer  in  a  few  days.", 

"How  much  do  you  expect  to  get  a  head  for  them?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Steve.  "The  way  horses 
are  pouring  into  Denver  I  guess  we  will  be  lucky  if  we 
get  ten  dollars  a  head  for  them."  And  this  estimate 
proved  to  be  correct,  or,  in  fact,  it  was  not  even  low 
enough.  The  market  was  flooded  with  horses,  and 
the  bottom  fell  out  of  prices,  until  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  there  were  many  fine  horses  in  their  bunch,  the 

68 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HOKSE  KOUND-UP 

best  offer  the  Gardeaus  could  get  was  seven  dollars 
per  head.  This  they  finally  accepted  and  delivered 
them  together  with  a  number  of  others  which  they 
brought  in  from  other  parts  of  the  country,  only  keep- 
ing about  one  hundred  head  of  the  best. 

Many  other  ranchers  took  their  horses  in  at  the  same 
time,  and  one  afternoon,  as  Steve,  Ira,  Blackie  and 
Flint  were  standing  at  the  bar  of  the  Stock  Yards 
saloon,  drinking  and  telling  stories  of  the  round-up,  a 
stranger  approached  and  after  listening  to  them  for 
awhile,  remarked  at  the  close  of  an  unusually  good 
story,  speaking  with  a  strong  Boston  accent. 

*'That  is  a  pretty  good  story,  and  as  Tve  been  an 
uninvited  listener  I  should  like  to  buy  the  drinks  as 
my  share  of  the  entertainment." 

"The  boys  looked  him  over  and  seeing  only  a  kindly 
stranger  who  was  almost  shabbily  dressed,  seemed  in- 
clined to  accept  his  invitation  and  Steve,  acting  as 
spokesman  for  the  crowd,  said : 

"All  right,  sir,  well  go  you."  After  they  had  drunk 
the  stranger  observed : 

"ril  tell  you,  boys,  I  am  just  passing  through  Den- 
ver and  do  not  know  a  soul.  My  train  leaves  at  three 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning,  and  if  you  will  help  me 
while  away  the  time  between  FU  pay  all  expenses,  and 
you  can  go  as  far  as  you  like.  I'm  interested  in  horses 
to  the  extent  that  I  always  like  to  look  at  a  good  one 
when  I  get  a  chance,  and  stayed  over  to-day  on  purpose 
to  visit  the  Stock  Yards,  as  I  heard  that  it  was  flooded 
with  horses,  but  I  have  not  a  thing  to  do  between  now 
and  train-time." 

At  this  speech  the  cowboys  looked  at  each  other  for 
a  moment,  and  then  they  exclaimed  with  one  accord: 

"That  sounds  good  to  us.  Lead  the  way,  and  we'll 
sure  whoop  her  up." 

"What  would  you  like  to  do  first?"  inquired  the 
69 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

stranger.  "I  am  good  for  a  feed  for  the  crowd  at  the 
svvellest  place  in  town.  And  before  we  go  any  farther, 
my  name  is  Robinson." 

"We  are  glad  to  know  you  Mr.  Robinson,"  said 
Steve,  shaking  hands  and  introducing  the  others,  little 
thinking  that  this  stranger  whom  they  met  so  casually 
was  to  play  such  an  important  part  in  his  life  in  the 
near  future. 

They  left  the  Stock  Yards  and  a  short  time  after 
entered  the  cafe  of  the  Brown  Palace  Hotel.  An  ob- 
sequious waiter  found  them  a  table  in  a  secluded 
corner  and  handed  them  the  menu,  which,  of  course, 
in  that  up-to-date  hostelry,  was  printed  in  French. 

The  cowboys  looked  at  this  in  hopeless  confusion  for 
awhile,  and  then  Ira  said : 

"Here,  Steve,  parle  vous  this  for  us.  You  are 
French." 

"I  am  French  all  right,  but  I  don't  savy  any  of  this 
lingo.  Let's  see  what  it  says  on  the  other  side,  ^Regular 
Dinner,'  and  printed  in  English.  That  looks  good  to 
me.  I  don't  know  how  the  rest  of  you  feel,  but  I  am 
hungry  enough  to  eat  a  regular  dinner  myself." 

"So  am  I,"  agreed  Flint,  to  whom  the  English  was 
almost  as  unintelligible  as  the  French  had  been  to  the 
others. 

This  seemed  to  be  an  easy  way  out  of  the  difficulty, 
so  Robinson  ordered  a  Regular  Dinner  for  the  crowd, 
but  while  they  were  waiting  he  ordered  a  round  of 
cocktails,  and  a  bottle  of  champagne  to  be  served  with 
the  dinner. 

Presently  the  waiter  set  before  each  of  them  a  little 
bowl  of  consomme,  and  when  they  had  eaten  that, 
brought  an  entre  composed  of  a  diminutive  piece  of 
fish,  decorated  with  parsley.  The  cowboys  looked 
more  and  more  discouraged  as  each  course  came  on, 
and  finally  when  the  waiter  set  down  a  dainty  salad, 

70 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

Flint  looked  at  it  for  a  moment,  and  then  calling  the 
waiter,  exclaimed: 

"Here,  waiter,  take  this  away,  and  bring  me  some- 
thing to  eat.  What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  I've  al- 
ready filled  up  a  lot  of  valuable  space  with  nothin',  an' 
I'm  hungry." 

"Well,  seh,"  said  the  waiter.  "You  all  done  ordered 
the  Regulah  Dinnah,  an'  dat's  what  Ise  bringin'  yeh." 

"That  doesn't  seem  to  suit,"  said  Mr.  Robinson, 
laughing.  "How  would  a  good-sized  porter  house 
steak  please  you  boys?" 

"If  it's  a  good-sized  one  it  will  just  suit  us,"  agreed 
they. 

After  they  left  the  hotel  and  were  walking  down 
Seventeenth  Street,  they  encountered  Ned  and  Marcia 
as  they  were  just,  leaving  the  Albany  on  their  way  to 
the  Broadway  Theatre,  where  a  Western  play  was 
being  given. 

"We  want  to  see  if  it  can  come  up  to  the  real  thing," 
said  Ned. 

"If  it  don't,  shoot  'em  up,"  suggested  the  boys  reck- 
lessly.   "And  if  you  can't  do  it,  we'll  come  and  help." 

"Well,  come  along  then,"  answered  Ned.  "For  I 
guess  if  I  was  to  start  anything  like  that  I'd  need 
help." 

"We  will  go,  if  you  boys  wish  to,"  said  Robinson. 
"It  is  a  good  play.    I  saw  it  in  Boston." 

They  started  in  the  direction  of  Broadway  and  had 
not  gone  far  until  some  one  exclaimed  : 

"Here  comes  Ballehan  and  his  wife." 

"Let's  take  them  along,"  suggested  Steve.  "Here 
Ballehan,  we  are  all  goin'  to  the  theatre,  so  come 
along." 

"Ah  can't  go  to  the  theatre,  Mr.  Steve,"  objected 
Mandy.  "I'se  done  jined  de  chuch,  an*  it's  'gin  my 
'liggin.'' 

71 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"What  church  did  you  join?"  inquired  Robinson, 
much  amused. 

"Ah  done  jined  de  Mefodist  chuch  long  time  ago, 
and  dey  done  tole  me  dat  de  debil  am  a  sashain'  all 
'roun'  in  dem  theatres,  an'  ah  don'  tink  ah'd  bettah 
go." 

"Oh,  they  have  changed  since  you  joined  the 
church,"  objected  Steve.  "I'm  a  church  member  and 
I  go  to  the  theatre  every  time  I  come  to  town  and  the 
devil  hasn't  got  me  yet,  so  come  along.  He*d  take  me 
first  anyway,  and  wouldn't  be  able  to  carry  you,  so 
you  are  safe." 

Somewhat  doubting,  Mandy  and  Ballehan  fell  in  be- 
hind, and  Robinson  inquired : 

"Will  they  let  us  in  the  theatre?" 

"I  guess  we  can  get  in  the  Balcony.  I've  seen  coons 
up  there.  But  they  found  they  could  not  get  seats 
anywhere  except  in  the  Gallery,  and  as  they  decided 
that  was  too  high  up  they  all  trooped  down  to  a  Curtis 
Street  theatre,  where  the  color  line  was  not  so  closely 
drawn.  It  was  a  regular  blood  and  thunder  play,  and 
as  the  curtain  went  up  and  the  characters  came  on,  one 
of  swarthy  skin  and  lank  black  hair  began  to  speak 
Spanish.  As  he  rattled  off  his  sentence  or  two  of 
dialect,  Ira,  who  had  been  down  in  Mexico,  answered 
him  in  that  language,  the  cowboys  joining  in  with  the 
few  stock  phrases  they  knew. 

The  audience  looked  and  laughed  appreciatively 
tmtil  first  the  usher  and  then  the  manager  came  and 
threatened  to  put  them  out.  They  quieted  down  for 
awhile,  and  Mandy  and  Ballehan  who  had  not  been 
to  a  theatre  before  became  intensely  interested.  Pres- 
ently the  villain,  a  sombre  individual  with  coal-black 
hair,  lured  the  hero  to  the  railroad  track  and  slipping 
up  behind  him,  caught  and  bound  him  to  the  rails.  As 
the  train  was  seen  approaching  in  the  distance,  Mandy 

72 


THE  LAST  GREAT  HORSE  ROUND-UP 

to  whom  it  was  all  real,  jumped  up  with  a  whoop,  and 
yelled : 

*'Fo'  de  Lawd's  sake !  Won't  somebody  go  an'  sabe 
dat  man?"  and  started  to  climb  over  the  seat  in  front 
and  go  to  the  rescue.  This  was  too  much;  the  audi- 
ence roared  with  laughter,  and  the  long-suffering  man- 
ager came  and  put  them  out,  which  through  Robinson's 
intercession  was  done  peaceably. 

After  leaving  Ned  and  Marcia  at  the  Albany  and 
putting  Ballehan  and  his  wife  on  a  car,  the  cowboys 
proceeded  to  show  Robinson  the  town,  and  when  time 
came  for  him  to  take  the  train,  hilariously  escorted  him 
to  the  depot.  As  he  was  taking  leave  of  the  boys,  he 
remarked  to  Steve : 

"I'll  be  back  this  way  about  October,  and  will  come 
out  and  see  you.  I  should  like  to  go  on  a  round-up. 
You  have  your  beef  round-up  then,  don't  you  ?" 

"Yes,  that's  the  time.  Be  sure  and  come.  We  will 
be  glad  to  have  you." 


78 


IV 

ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  TWO 

On  the  fifteenth  of  June,  Miss  Parker,  accompanied 
by  her  aunt  arrived  at  the  Grand  Central  Depot,  at 
42d  Street,  New  York,  and  purchased  a  ticket  to  Den- 
ver. After  she  had  kissed  her  aunt  good-bye,  she 
gave  her  this  parting  admonition  as  she  mounted  the 
steps : 

"Don't  you  or  mother  give  Reggie  Van  Rennssler 
my  address.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  annoyed  by  him  any 
longer." 

"Annoyed,"  marveled  her  aunt.  "Most  girls  would 
not  consider  a  proposal  from  a  millionaire  an  annoy- 
ance." 

"Well,  let  him  take  himself  and  his  millions  to  them 
then,"  answered  Miss  Parker,  determinedly.  "I  do  not 
wish  either."  But  her  aunt  only  shook  her  head  over 
the  folly  of  youth  and  her  niece  in  particular,  and  ^ 
returned  to  the  cosy,  little  flat  where  she  was  to  spend 
the  summer,  and  care  for  her  invalid  sister,  who  had 
years  before  been  stricken  with  paralysis.  Her 
daughter  who  was  now  speeding  so  happily  westward 
had  been  her  constant  companion  through  all  her  young 
girlhood,  and  was  now  free  for  the  first  time  to  take 
a  much-needed  vacation. 

74 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  TWO 

They  had  never  been  wealthy,  but  had  been  left  com- 
fortably off.  However,  bad  investments  and  trying 
new  cures  had  eaten  up  most  of  their  income,  and  the 
daughter  was  forced  to  turn  her  talent  for  art  to  prac- 
tical purposes.  This  she  gladly  did,  and  earned  quite 
ia  substantial  income  for  herself  by  illustrating  for  one 
of  the  leading  fashion  magazines.  She  had  worked 
steadily  for  two  or  three  years,  and  had  only  given 
up  when  her  physician  forecasted  all  sorts  of  dire  pos- 
sibilities if  she  did  not  take  a  rest  at  once. 

Miss  Parker  was  a  girl  with  well-defined  ideas  as 
to  what  she  expected  the  man  she  married  to  be,  but 
like  all  girls  the  possibility  of  acquiring  an  imlimited 
income  had  been  somewhat  alluring,  so  that  Reggie 
and  his  proposal  disturbed  both  her  sleeping  and  wak- 
ing dreams  more  than  she  cared  to  admit..  Wishing  to 
put  temptation  out  of  her  way  she  had  not  told  him 
where  she  was  going  to  spend  the  summer,  and  if  her 
aunt  and  mother  would  only  carry  out  her  instruc- 
tions, and  not  give  Reggie  her  address,  then  she  could 
enjoy  her  vacation  in  peace. 

But,  alas,  for  her  well-laid  plans.  Hardly  had  she 
reached  the  Alton  Ranch  and  become  rested  from  her 
trip  than  Reggie  arrived  on  the  scene.  Careful  as  to 
toilet  as  ever,  he  emerged  from  the  folds  of  a  trailing 
linen  duster  in  which  he  had  muffled  himself  to  protect 
his  costume  from  the  dust  of  travel.  He  had  even 
wrapped  up  his  feet  so  that  when  he  presented  himself 
he  was  as  speckless  and  spotless  as  if  he  had  just 
stepped  from  a  cab  at  her  door. 

"Well,  where  did  you  come  from?"  inquired  Miss 
Parker,  much  dismayed.  "And  how  did  you  find  out 
where  I  had  gone?" 

"Why,  your  aunt  told  me,  don't-cher-know."  Reg- 
gie had  the  advantage  or  disadvantage  of  being  both  an 
Englishman  and  a  Bostonian,  which  combination  of 

75 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

ancestry  had  been  brought  about  by  his  parents  mov- 
ing to  Boston  upon  their  arrival  in  this  country,  his 
father  dying  before  he  became  naturalized,  and  his 
mother  subsequently  marrying  a  wealthy  Boston  mer- 
chant. He  had  also  died  leaving  the  bulk  of  his  for- 
tune to  his  wife,  which  Reggie  would  ultimately  inherit. 

She  had  spent  much  time  in  England,  and  so  Reggie 
bore  traces  of  both  environments  in  his  accent  and 
conversation,  while  in  person  and  dress  he  was  the  fin- 
ished man-about-town.  His  mother  and  Miss  Parker's 
aunt  had  been  old  friends  before  the  former's  second 
marriage,  and  in  this  way  the  two  young  people  had 
met,  and  Reggie  much  to  his  mother's  chagrin,  had 
immediately  fallen  in  love.  Being  flouted  where  he  had 
expected  to  be  delightfully  accepted,  all  the  stubborn- 
ness bom  of  twenty-four  years  of  spoiling  at  the  hands 
of  a  doting  parent,  was  crystalized  into  a  determination 
to  win  the  girl  at  any  cost.  True  his  mother  was  op- 
posed to  the  match,  but  Reggie  had  had  his  way  too 
long  to  be  moved  by  such  a  tardy  attempt  at  discipline. 

Two  days  after  Miss  Parker's  departure  he  called  at 
their  apartment,  and  found  a  willing  accomplice  in  the 
aunt,  who  considered  it  almost  sacriligious  of  her  niece 
to  be  so  indifferent  to  the  material  advantages  to  be 
gained  by  the  acquisition  of  so  much  wealth.  Hurry- 
ing home  he  had  his  valet  start  packing  a  huge  trunk 
and  several  suit  cases  for  his  western  trip,  while  Reg- 
gie fidgeted  about  from  room  to  room.  At  last  he  put 
his  head  into  the  room  and  said: 

"I  don't  believe  I  had  better  take  you  along,  Thomas. 
Don't-cher-know,  those  cowboys  might  make  me  walk 
the  plank  if  I  arrived  with  a  valet.  No  that  is  what 
they  do  on  the  ocean.  What  is  the  bally  thing  they  do 
to  people  in  that  awful  place  they  call  The  West'  ?  Oh, 
Yes !  It  is  to  make  the  tenderfeet  dance.  Well,  I  am 
sure  that  would  be  painful  as  my  bally  feet  are  so 

76 


ENTER  WOMAN  NUMBER  TWO 

big  I  always  have  to  wear  shoes  four  sizes  too  small." 
At  last  the  packing  was  done  and  they  hurried  off 
to  catch  an  eight  o'clock  train,  and  Reggie  bade  his 
half-weeping  servant  an  almost  tearful  good-bye.  The 
valet  was  English  also  and  looked  upon  his  master 
as  quite  a  hero  for  attempting  such  a  dangerous  en- 
terprise. 


77 


V 

'  FOURTH  OF  JULY 

Reggie  and  Miss  Parker  had  been  at  the  Alton  Ranch 
almost  two  weeks  when  the  Fourth  of  July  came,  and 
as  he  had  the  field  all  to  himself,  he  began  to  think  that 
his  trip  West  was  not  such  a  bad  move  after  all.  His 
only  difficulty  was  that  he  had  not  yet  learned  to  ride 
or  drive  with  anything  like  success.  True  he  essayed 
one  or  the  other  every  day,  but  Ned  would  not  trust 
him  with  anything  but  the  gentlest  of  horses.  These 
went  so  slowly  that  after  one  or  two  trips  Miss  Parker 
could  not  be  induced  to  drive  with  him  again,  and  if 
they  went  for  a  ride,  and  any  one  else  was  along  she 
would  gallop  oif  and  leave  him  to  plod  along  by  him- 
self, far  in  the  rear. 

However,  they  could  not  ride  or  drive  all  the  time, 
and  on  the  long,  quiet  evenings  at  the  ranch  he  came 
in  handy  to  help  while  away  the  dragging  hours.  For 
this  reason  Miss  Parker  had  shown  him  more  consid- 
eration than  he  had  formerly  received  at  her  hands,  and 
he  was  proportionately  encouraged. 

He  tried  to  persuade  Miss  Parker  to  drive  with  him 
out  to  where  they  w^ere  going  to  hold  their  celebra- 
tion, but  she  laughingly  assured  him  that  she  wished  to 
get  there  in  time  for  lunch  anyway,  and  as  a  means  to 

78 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

that  end,  climbed  into  the  wagon  with  the  rest,  and 
Reggie  perforce  followed. 

As  the  crowd  drove  out  to  the  picnic  grounds  a 
pretty  open  glade  near  the  creek,  circled  by  large  cot- 
ton-wood and  willow  trees ;  they  saw  coming  across  the 
prairie  a  light-top  buggy,  drawn  by  a  long,  rangy,  dark 
bay  horse,  and  seated  therein,  a  slender  and  bronzed 
young  cow-puncher.  As  he  drew  nearer,  Flint,  who 
was  driving,  exclaimed : 

"Why,  it's  Steve,  in-there." 

Then  every  one  began  to  exclaim :  "There's  Steve ! 
There's  Steve  !'*  And  in  the  voice  of  each  was  a  ming- 
ling of  surprise  and  affection,  and  in  the  eyes  of  Flint 
was  the  fond  look  with  which  a  dog  greets  its  master. 

Miss  Parker,  who  was  sitting  beside  Reggie  Van 
Rensseler,  wondered  who  Steve  was,  of  whom  they 
all  seemed  to  be  so  fond.  A  number  of  other  cow- 
boys rode  up  just  then,  some  singly,  some  coming  in 
pairs ;  all  tall  and  slender  and  riding  with  easy  grace ; 
some  were  picturesque  in  leather  chaps  and  gaudy 
handkerchiefs;  others  wore  white  collars  and  shirts 
and  dark  suits. 

Wagons  drove  up  loaded  with  happy-hearted  people, 
bent  on  a  day's  outing.  Introductions  came  thick  and 
fast,  and  soon  Miss  Parker  was  lost  in  maze  of  new 
names  and  faces.  Everybody  was  busy  passing  from 
one  group  to  another,  greeting  old  friends,  and  were 
only  brought  to  a  realization  of  the  passage  of  time  by 
seeing  Mrs.  Alton  stretching  a  long  table-cloth  on  the 
ground  under  the  trees,  on  which  to  spread  the  lunch. 
Then  there  was  a  general  bustling  about  among  the 
wagons  in  search  of  lunch  boxes. 

Ned  and  Marcia  walked  around  over  the  grounds, 
shaking  hands  with  the  people  and  hospitably  inviting 
everybody  to  come  and  have  lunch  with  them,  so  that 
by  the  time  Mrs.  Alton  had  the  hampers  emptied  and 

79 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

the  contents  placed  on  the  long  cloth  there  were  quite 
a  number  of  people  ready  to  seat  themselves  around 
it.  Just  as  they  were  sitting  down  a  carriage  drove 
up,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Evanston  and  Miss  Little  were 
its  occupants.  Marcia  immediately  invited  them  to 
get  out  and  have  lunch,  then  introducing  Miss  Little 
to  Miss  Parker  and  Mr.  Van  Rensseler,  assigned  her 
a  place  nearby. 

Blackie  came  along  at  that  moment,  and  was  about 
to  sit  down  beside  her,  but  when  she  turned  from  him 
to  greet  Steve  with  a  bright  little  cry  of  welcome,  he 
moved  away  with  a  scowl.  Steve  gave  her  a  searching 
glance  as  he  shook  hands,  and  after  he  was  intro- 
duced to  Miss  Parker,  seated  himself  between  her  and 
Miss  Little,  and  as  he  sat  half  propped  up  on  one  elbow, 
took  silent  appraisement  of  the  man  and  girl  from  the 
East.  As  he  watched  there  came  into  his  eyes  a  look 
which  was  a  mingling  of  contempt  and  amazement. 
Contempt  for  the  man  who  was  dressed,  manicured 
and  barbered  with  all  the  care  he  would  bestow  upon 
his  toilet  for  a  promenade  up  Fifth  Avenue,  and  amaze- 
ment that  a  girl  like  the  one  before  him  should  allow 
herself  to  be  identified  with  him. 

"I  wonder  if  that  is  one  of  the  products  of  the 
effete  East  that  she  spoke  about  bein'  tired  of  ?"  mused 
he  to  himself. 

In  Reggie's  manner  was  a  confident  and  pleased 
possession,  by  which  he  meant  to  convey  to  the  world 
that  he  was  a  successful  suitor.  On  his  face  was  a 
smug  look  of  content  with  himself,  and  superiority  over 
his  fellowmen. 

It  was  impossible  to  tell  from  Miss  Parker's  cool 
acceptance  of  his  attentions  whether  the  man's  assur- 
ance pleased  her  or  not.  She  courteously  kept  Steve 
supplied  with  food  out  of  the  abundance  that  Reggie 
showered  upon  her,  and  laughed  appreciatively  at  the 

80 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

constant    stream   of   good-natured   banter   going   on 
among  the  others  around  her. 

Presently  the  conversation  drifted  to  the  dance  to  be 
held  that  evening  at  Kiowa,  and  some  one  asked  Miss 
Parker  if  she  was  going. 

"Of  course,  she  is,"  answered  Marcia. 

"I  do  not  know  about  it,"  objected  Miss  Parker. 
"Marcia  tells  me  they  dance  all  night,  and  you  know 
I  came  West  for  a  rest.  I  never  danced  all  night,  and 
am  afraid  it  will  make  me  too  tired.  If  I  could  come 
home  at  midnight,  I  should  like  to  go." 

"I'll  bring  you  home  at  twelve  o'clock,"  said  Steve, 
promptly. 

"Very  well,  then,  I'll  go,"  acquiesced  she,  accepting 
the  invitation  as  cooly  as  it  was  offered. 

At  this  Miss  Little  started  and  her  face  grew  scarlet. 
Blackie  seeing  her  confusion  looked  at  Steve  with  sur- 
prise, and  maliciously  exclaimed: 

"Say,  ain't  you  gettin'  your  dates  a  little  mixed?" 

"I  don't  know  as  I've  mixed  any  so  far,"  answered 
Steve,  winking  at  Blackie  to  keep  still. 

After  lunch  things  rather  lagged  for  awhile,  every- 
body lounged  around  in  well-filled  contentment.  Ned 
in  order  to  liven  things  up  called  to  Miss  Parker : 

"Get  your  mandolin  and  sing  us  a  song." 

"I  did  not  bring  it,"  answered  she. 

"Well,  then,  we'll  just  send  somebody  for  it.  Here, 
Flint,  ride  to  the  house  and  get  Miss  Parker's  man- 
dolin." 

While  he  was  gone  after  it,  Reggie,  who  had  set 
ideas  as  to  how  the  Fourth  of  July  should  be  cele- 
brated, produced  some  fire-crackers  and  childishly  be- 
gan to  try  to  frighten  Miss  Parker  with  them.  She, 
like  all  girls,  jumped  and  screamed  as  one  went  ofif 
under  her  feet,  and  then  wanted  one  to  shoot.  Reggie 
gave  her  one  and  held  the  match  to  light  it 

81 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Miss  Parker  fired  a  few,  and  then  began  to  tire  of 
the  foolish  amusement,  but  every  time  she  turned  away 
Reggie  would  say : 

**Here,  shoot  another.  It  is  great  sport,  don't-cher- 
know." 

So  Miss  Parker  hoping  to  exhaust  the  supply,  fired 
them  off  industriously  for  awhile,  Reggie  handing  them 
to  her  one  at  a  time.  Finally  he  had  emptied  one  pocket 
and  Miss  Parker  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  he  began 
producing  them  from  another  and  she  exclaimed  in 
dismay : 

"Are  you  made  of  fire-crackers?" 

"Gee,  I  wish  I  had  some  fire-crackers,"  drawled 
Fred  Knox  to  a  group  of  cowboys  standing  near. 

"Yes,  I  guess  them  are  about  as  dangerous  weapons 
as  Reggie'd  dare  carry,"  said  Ira. 

"It's  a  wonder  he  didn't  bring  a  bean-shooter. 
ThatM  be  more  appropriate  for  a  Bostonian,"  com- 
mented Steve. 

Just  then  Flint  returned  with  the  mandolin  and  Miss 
Parker  with  an  eye  for  the  picturesque  found  a  seat 
between  two  trees  that  grew  out  of  the  earth  side  by 
side,  and  spread  apart  just  high  enough  from  the 
ground  to  make  a  sort  of  rustic  chair.  The  cowboys 
gathered  around,  Steve  leaning  against  a  tree  near 
Miss  Parker. 

"What  shall  I  sing?"  asked  she. 

"Oh,  sing  that  one  about  wantin''  to  be  loved,"  sug- 
gested Ned.  "I  think  that  will  just  about  make  a  hit 
with  these  boys." 

"Yes,  sing  that,"  said  Steve.  "I  believe  that  will 
just  suit  me." 

"Miss  Parker  played  a  few  chords,  and  started  to 
sing  the  foolish  little  ditty  and  as  she  sang,  the  boys 
kept  edging  a  little  nearer,  but  Steve  had  the  most 

82 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

strategic  position  and  would  not  allow  any  one  to 
oust  him. 

The  girl  was  unusually  attractive,  having  jet  black 
hair,  creamy  skin  and  soft  brown  eyes,  and  had  long 
ago  learned  her  power  over  men.  Her  voice  was  noth- 
ing remarkable,  but  clear  and  sweet,  and  the  boys  at- 
tracted by  her  personality  and  rich  beauty,  lingered 
on  as  she  sang  one  song  after  another. 

The  belated  arrival  of  a  keg  of  beer  proved  a  counter 
attraction  after  awhile,  and  they  drifted  away,  one  by 
one  in  the  direction  of  the  clump  of  trees  where  it  was 
hidden,  all  but  Steve. 

As  they  came  back,  Ira  remarked : 

"Look  at  Steve*  He's  sure  hard  hit.  Never  knew 
a  girl  to  keep  him  interested  when  there  was  anything 
to  drink  handy." 

"Yes,  she's  got  him  hog-tied  and  eatin*  sugar  from 
her  hand,"  said  Fred.  "But  where  does  Miss  Little 
come  in?" 

"I  guess  she's  in  the  discard,"  answered  Ned.  "And 
she  looks  like  she  ain't  enjoyin'  it  any  too  much  either." 
And  then  he  called : 

"Oh,  Steve !  Come  over  here.  I've  got  something 
to  show  you." 

"Let  me  alone,"  demanded  Steve.  "Don't  you  see 
this  is  the  first  time  I  have  been  happy  in  six  months  ?" 

"Old  Steve  sure  had  the  nerve  to  ask  her  to  go  to 
the  dance  right  before  that  beau  of  hers  from  New 
York,"  observed  Ira. 

"Guess  she  don't  care  much  about  Reggie,  as  she 
didn't  hesitate  any  about  acceptin*  Steve's  invitation," 
said  Fred. 

"Yes,  but  that  may  just  be  her  way  of  keepin'  him 
guessin'.  Not  many  girls  have  the  courage  to  refuse 
a  millionaire,  even  if  he  ain't  much  of  a  man,"  said 
Ned 

83 


STEVE  OF  THE  «—  G"  RANCH 

"Let's  get  up  some  games,"  suggested  Flint 

"Call  Steve,  Ned,"  said  Fred.  "He  used  to  be  some 
good,  but  now  all  he  can  do  is  stand  around  and  listen 
to  *I  Want  to  be  Loved'  played  on  the  mandolin," 

"No  use  to  call  him,"  exclaimed  Ned.  "I  did  call 
him.  Ill  see  if  I  can  wake  her  up,"  and  then  he 
shouted : 

"Oh,  Miss  Parker.  Take  the  hobbles  off  of  Steve 
and  turn  him  loose  with  the  herd.  We  want  to  have 
some  fun." 

Reggie  came  up  and  he  and  Miss  Parker  jomed 
the  crowd. 

Blackie  mounted  a  horse  and  Steve  untied  his  lariat 
and  with  a  graceful  sweep  of  his  arm,  sent  his  rope 
curling  out  and  the  loop  settled  over  Blackie  and 
around  the  horse's  neck.  Then  he  caught  the  horse  by- 
first  one  foot  and  then  the  other,  and  then  by  both  as 
Blackie  galloped  by,  and  as  a  wind-up  to  the  per- 
formance, threw  a  large  noose  and  caught  both  Fred 
and  Blackie  as  they  approached  each  other  in  com- 
ing from  opposite  directions. 

Ira  and  Ned  had  a  wrestling  match,  and  soon  every- 
body was  doing  something.  There  were  no  seats,  so 
Reggie  took  a  lap  robe  from  the  wagon  and  spread 
it  on  the  ground  to  make  a  seat  for  Miss  Parker. 

Ned  tired  from  his  wrestling  sat  down  beside  her 
to  rest.    Steve  saw  him,  and  exclaimed : 

"Here  you,  that's  my  seat,"  and  catching  him  by 
the  arm  pulled  him  up  and  sat  down  himself. 

Then  Blackie  pulled  Steve  up  and  sat  down  in  his 
place,  and  the  latter  went  around  on  the  other  side. 

Soon  Reggie  was  crowded  off  entirely  as  the  cow- 
boys laughingly  scrambled  for  a  seat  on  the  robe  be- 
side Miss  Parker,  who,  very  much  amused,  took  it  all 
in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  meant. 

84 


FOUETH  OF  JULY 

Several  more  drifted  up  and  threw  themselves  on 
the  ground  and  presently  Ira  suggested : 

*'Let's  see  who  can  tell  the  biggest  lie.  Til  tell  one 
and  then  some  one  else  see  if  they  can  tell  a  bigger." 

"All  right,"  assented  Ned.    "Go  ahead." 

"Well,  let's  talk  about  strong  men.  While  I  was 
out  in  Wyoming  I  saw  a  man  that  was  so  strong  that 
when  he  picked  up  a  big  ball  of  iron  and  squeezed  it 
it  all  squashed  out  between  his  fingers." 

"Pshaw,  that's  nothin',"  observed  Fred  Knox.  "I 
heard  of  a  man  that  was  a  lot  stronger  than  that.  You 
know  in  the  beginnin'  the  earth  wasn't  like  it  is  now,  it 
was  a  lot  bigger,  and  a  strong  man  put  his  arms  around 
it  and  squeezed  it  in  two." 

"Yes,  and  when  he  got  through  it  was  all  dry  land, 
wasn't  it?"  inquired  Ned. 

"Yes,"  agreed  Fred. 

"W^ell,  that  strong  man  had  a  pal,  and  he  wasn't 
so  strong  in  his  arms  like  them  two  fellows  you  and 
Ira  tell  about,  but  he  was  a  great  one  to  chew  to- 
bacco, and  after  that  man  had  squeezed  the  earth  in 
two,  he  spit  just  once,  and  it  splattered  and  made 
five  oceans." 

While  tliey  were  still  laughing  over  the  finish  of 
Ned's  story,  two  men  and  a  boy  were  seen  driving 
up,  leading  a  horse.  Presently  one  of  them  approached 
Ned  and  said :  ' 

"Are  you  Mr.  Alton?" 

"That's  my  father's  name.  He  is  over  there.  My 
name  is  Ned." 

"Well,"  answ^ered  the  fellow  laughing.  "My  name  is 
Baxter.  I  came  out  to  Kiowa  this  morning  from 
Denver,  thinking  the  picnic  was  there.  I've  brought 
along  a  horse  that  can  run  a  little  and  I'd  like  to  match 
a  race  with  you." 

85 


STEVE  OF  THE  "-—  G''  RANCH 

"Well,  I  haven't  anything  that  is  fit  to  race,  but 
maybe  Steve  has.  He  generally  has  a  race  horse." 
When  they  approached  Steve  on  the  subject  he  ob- 
jected, saying: 

"Oh,  my  horse  is  in  no  condition  to  run.  I  just 
got  him  in  oif  the  range  yesterday,  and  then  drove  him 
over  here  to-day." 

"Which  is  your  horse?"  inquired  Mr.  Baxter. 

"That's  him  over  there  hitched  to  that  buggy,  but 
he  is  in  no  condition  to  run,  been  running  out  all 
spring." 

The  horse  in  question  certainly  did  not  show  up  very 
well,  although  the  discerning  could  see  that  he  was 
built  for  speed,  having  an  unusual  length  of  body  and 
limbs,  but  he  was  covered  with  alkali  dust  which  had 
been  matted  in  his  hair  by  the  long  drive  over. 

The  more  Mr.  Baxter  looked  at  him  the  more 
anxious  he  became  for  a  race,  and  finally  Steve  said : 
"Well,  if  I  can  get  some  one  to  ride  my  horse,  111  run 
him." 

Looking  around  among  the  crowd  he  found  a  boy 
who  was  small  for  his  age  and  proportionately  light, 
who  had  acted  as  jockey  for  him  before.  As  soon  as 
Mr.  Baxter  found  that  the  race  was  assurred,  he  began 
trying  to  get  bets  and  as  no  one,  after  sizing  up  the 
two  horses,  cared  to  bet  he  began  to  increase  the  odds. 

Flint  came  up  to  Steve  and  said : 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  them  fellers  are  of- 
ferin'  to  bet  five  dollars  to  one  that  their  horse  can 
beat  yours." 

"Well,  take  all  you  can  get  at  them  odds,  and  if  you 
haven't  the  money,  borrow  it. 

"If  they  knew  this  horse  they  wouldn't  be  so  reck- 
less with  their  money.  He  is  one  of  them  rawboned, 
ugly  cusses  that  looks  worse  when  in  condition  than 
out,  and  while  he  ain't  had  any  trainin'  this  year  and 

86 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

has  run  out  all  summer,  still  there  ain't  been  enough 
grass  to  make  him  fat. 

"It's  been  so  dry  they  have  to  go  a  long  way  to 
water,  and  several  times  when  I've  been  out  ridin*  I've 
seen  him  start  out  with  a  bunch  of  horses  to  go  to 
some  water  hole  for  a  drink,  and  they'd  all  be  runnin' 
like  the  devil  was  after  'em,  and  that  old  rangy  bay  was 
always  in  the  lead.  You  know  them  old  Revenue 
horses  can  all  run.    I'll  bet  all  I  can  get  at  them  odds." 

The  word  went  around  among  the  cowboys  and 
ranchers  that  Steve's  horse  might  be  in  better  condi- 
tion than  he  looked,  and  as  most  of  them  knew  what 
he  could  do  when  in  shape,  they  began  to  place  bets, 
putting  up  a  few  dollars  at  a  time,  so  as  not  to  make 
Mr.  Baxter  suspicious.  Presently  the  two  men  had 
up  all  the  money  they  brought  with  them,  and  expected 
to  make  quite  a  clean-up. 

They  paced  off  a  half  mile  track  along  the  level  road 
that  led  to  Kiowa,  and  the  two  horses  lined  up  for 
the  start. 

The  boy  who  came  with  Mr.  Baxter  stripped  off  his 
outer  garments  and  stood  arrayed  in  brilliant  jockey 
costume  of  green  and  white,  and  as  he  sat  on  his 
satiny-coated  thoroughbred,  he  made  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  rough-coated  range  horse,  and  the  bare- 
footed boy  in  overalls  on  its  back. 

"What  fools  these  cowboys  are,"  remarked  Reggie, 
contemptiously.  "Do  they  think  that  old  buggy  horse 
can  beat  that  trained  race  horse?  Why  their  old  horse 
looks  all  played  out,  don't-cher-know,  and  covered  with 
dirt." 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Miss  Parker,  "whether  it 
can  outrun  the  other  or  not,  AnyAvay,  the  cowboys  arc 
not  afraid  to  back  him  with  money." 

"Well,  I  am  not  either,"  answered  Reggie,  rather 
87 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

nettled.  "I'll  wager  two  hxindred  dollars  that  the  sorrel 
wins." 

"At  five  to  one?"  asked  Steve,  who  chanced  to  hear 
the  remark. 

"At  whatever  odds  you  wish,  don't-cher-know." 

"Oh,  that's  good  enough  for  me,"  said  Steve  putting 
up  forty  dollars. 

Reggie  pulled  out  a  fat  roll  and  stripped  off  two  one 
hundred  dollar  bills  and  placed  them  with  the  stake 
holder.  Others  hearing  of  the  wager,  came  up,  and 
Reggie  accommodated  all  until  he  had  a  thousand  dol- 
lars bet ;  ranging  in  sums  all  the  way  from  five  to  fifty 
dollars  besides  the  two  hundred  dollars  bet  with  Steve, 

Ned  hearing  of  it  came  up  to  Reggie  and  said: 
''Ain't  you  goin'  in  rather  steep  on  a  horse  you  know 
nothin'  about?" 

"Oh,  I  guess  I  can  stand  it  if  the  rest  can,"  replied 
Reggie,  insolently.  "I  don't  think  I  am  taking  much 
of  a  chance,  don't-cher-know." 

"All  right,"  said  Ned.  "I  guess  you  know  your 
business." 

The  thoroughbred  champed  his  bit,  and  pranced,  and 
the  jockey  had  all  he  could  do  to  hold  him  in,  while 
Steve's  horse  stood  calmly  at  the  post,  seemingly  half 
asleep,  until  the  word  "Go !"  sounded  like  a  trumpet  in 
his  ear,  and  he  shot  out  from  the  line  in  one  long  leap 
that  carried  him  far  in  advance,  and  then  for  a  htm- 
dred  yards  or  so  he  bounded  along,  seemingly  never 
drawing  a  breath.  After  that  the  pace  slackened  some- 
what, but  he  was  already  so  far  in  the  lead  that  the 
other  horse  could  not  overtake  him. 

The  cowboys  shouted  and  tossed  their  wide  som- 
breros in  the  air  and  danced  up  and  down  like  maniacs, 
hugging  each  other  in  tlieir  joy.  Nearly  every  one 
had  placed  a  bet  either  with  Reggie  or  Mr.  Baxter,  and 
many  had  bets  with  both,  so  all  stood  to  win  something, 

88 


FOUETH  OF  JULY 

but  greater  than  that  was  the  partisan  joy  of  having 
their  horse  win.  Mr.  Baxter  and  his  partner  were  so 
disgusted  and  chagrined  that  they  hadn't  a  word  to 
say.  They  simply  paid  their  bets,  hitched  up  their 
horse  and  started  back  to  Denver. 

Miss  Parker  went  up  to  pet  Kentucky  Jim  and  pre- 
sent him  with  a  piece  of  candy,  which  he  nosed  for 
appreciatively.  As  to  the  victor  belongs  the  spoils,  she 
consented  to  drive  back  to  the  ranch  with  Steve,  leav- 
ing the  crestfallen  Reggie  to  go  back  without  her,  in 
the  wagon  with  the  rest  of  the  people  from  the  ranch. 
They  were  ready  to  go  before  Steve  had  his  bets  all 
straightened  out  and  as  Miss  Parker  did  not  like  to 
stand  around  and  wait  for  him,  she  started  to  get  in 
the  wagon  to  return  with  them. 

Steve  seeing  her  came  up  and  said : 

"I  thought  you  were  going  to  ride  with  me?" 

"Very  well,"  assented  Miss  Parker.  "You  do  not 
mind,  do  you  Reggie  ?"  And  Reggie  weakly  answered 
"No." 

When  they  reached  the  buggy,  they  found  Ira  al- 
ready seated  in  it,  and  as  Steve  offered  to  help  Miss 
Parker  in,  she  drew  back  and  inquired:  "Where  do 
you  expect  me  to  sit?" 

"On  our  laps,"  suggested  they. 

"Is  that  the  custom  of  the  country?"  inquired  she. 

"Yes,"  they  replied. 

"Well,  I  do  not  believe  I  am  sufficiently  Western- 
ized to  adopt  it  as  yet,"  spoke  she,  starting  to  turn 
away. 

"Come  on,"  urged  Steve.  "There  is  plenty  of  room, 
this  buggy  was  built  to  hold  three,  you  can  sit  be- 
tween us." 

"Oh,  all  right,"  said  Miss  Parker,  laughingly  accept- 
ing the  novel  situation. 

**But  how  is  it  that  I  find  two  cowboys  riding  in 
89 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

a  carriage  anyway?  I  am  surprised;  I  supposed  they 
were  always  dashing  about  on  horseback,  and  preferred 
a  bucking  broncho  to  anything  on  wheels?"  observed 
she. 

"I  heard  about  you  visiting  the  Altons,  and  I  ex- 
pected I  might  get  a  chance  to  take  you  to  the  dance/' 
said  Steve.  "And  Ira  has  just  come  back  from  Wyom- 
ing and  drove  over  from  Elizabeth  with  the  Man- 
nings." 

"What  cool  assurance/'  said  Miss  Parker.  "Do  you 
always  get  what  you  expect?" 

"Well,  I  always  try  to  get  it,"  answered  Steve, 

"You  two  all  dated  up  already!  Why  don't  you 
hold  off  awhile  and  give  some  other  fellow  a  chance? 
I  was  just  figuring  on  askin'  Miss  Parker  to  go  to  the 
dance  with  me,"  said  Ira. 

"Well,  you  can  ask  her  yet,  she  might  change  her 
mind." 

"That's  right,"  spoke  Ira.  "Steve  and  I  are  old 
pals,  so  you  take  your  choice/' 

"A  Western  Damon  and  Pythias,"  remarked  Miss 
Parker.  "But  the  matter  is  already  settled.  I  have 
said  I  would  go  with  Mr.  Gardeau,  and  I  never  break 
an  engagement  or  give  one  partner  a  dance  belonging 
to  another,  no  matter  how  much  I  might  be  tempted, 
it  makes  the  favored  one  too  conceited." 

Blackie  rode  up  beside  the  buggy  on  a  horse  that 
seemed  to  be  about  half  broken. 

"Make  him  buck,"  urged  Steve.  Blackie,  notliing 
loth,  viciously  jabbed  in  his  spurs,  and  the  horse  in- 
stantly responded  by  humping  his  back  into  a  half 
circle,  and,  gathering  his  four  legs  together,  jumped 
straight  up  and  landed  stiff  legged,  giving  his  body  a 
sinuous  twist  at  the  same  time.  This  he  repeated  with 
variations  several  times,  but  Blackie  stuck  like  a  burr 
and  seemed  to  enjoy  it 

90 


c 
o 

CS 


FOUKTH  OF  JULY 

"What  a  vicious  beast!"  exclaimed  Miss  Parker  as 
Blackie  returned.  "Do  not  make  him  buck  again,  he 
might  kill  you." 

While  supper  was  being  prepared  and  the  long 
stmimer  twilight  came  on  the  cowboys,  too  restless  to 
sit  still,  went  out  in  front  of  the  house,  and  as  usual 
when  a  number  of  them  were  together,  the  boyish 
spirit,  which  is  not  far  from  the  surface  in  these 
loiights  of  the  saddle  at  any  time,  came  uppermost. 
They  were  soon  running  foot  races,  jumping  and 
wrestling  with  all  the  abandon  and  enthusiasm  of  boys 
of  ten.  In  all  these  tests  of  agility  Steve  and  Blackie 
easily  led;  first  one  winning  and  then  the  other,  but 
with  this  difference :  When  Blackie  won  it  was  often 
through  some  trick  or  fluke,  and  received  little  applause 
or  commendation,  while  everybody  always  seemed 
pleased  when  Steve  won,  and  sorry  when  he  lost.  Thus 
spoke  the  difference  of  personality  between  the  two. 

Presently  Steve  and  Ira  went  down  on  all  fours  and 
bgan  to  buck,  with  old  man  Alton's  two  little  grand- 
sons on  their  backs  as  riders.  Ducking  their  heads, 
they  humped  their  backs,  and  twisted  their  sinuous 
bodies  in  imitation  of  all  the  contortions  known  and 
practiced  on  them  by  the  horses  they  had  ridden. 

The  little  boys  twined  their  legs  tightly  around  the 
bodies  of  their  impromptu  steeds,  and  left  arms  and 
hands  waving  free,  to  show  that  they  scorned  to  pull 
leather,  but  at  last  they  were  unseated  and  thrown,  just 
as  the  gong  (an  old  ploughshare,  on  which  Ned 
pounded  with  a  clevis)  sounded  for  supper. 

Reggie  and  Miss  Parker  had  been  interested  spec- 
tators throughout  it  all  and,  as  they  turned  away,  Reg- 
gie remarked: 

"They  are  all  drunk." 

"Yes,  but  with  the  intoxication  of  youth  and  bound- 
less vitality,"  replied  Miss  Parker. 

91 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

While  Miss  Parker  was  dressing  to  go  to  the  dance, 
Marcia  came  in  and  asked: 

"Are  you  going  with  Steve?  What  is  poor  Reggie 
going  to  do  ?" 

"I  do  not  care  what  he  does,"  said  Miss  Parker, 
laughing. 

"He  should  have  known  better  than  to  follow  me  out 
here.  If  I  do  not  do  something  to  make  him  angry  he 
will  stay  all  summer. 

"Poor  Reggie  I  It  is  awfully  hard  for  him  to  learn 
that  he  can  not  have  everything  he  wants.  He  has 
been  an  only  child  and  a  mamma's  darling,  and,  not 
having  much  imagination,  so  far,  his  money  has  pro- 
cured for  him  whatever  he  desired.  He  thought  that, 
of  course,  since  we  are  poor  and  my  mother  an  invalid, 
that  his  money  would  win  me,  even  if  I  could  resist 
his  own  fascinating  personality. 

"His  mother  was  furious  at  him  for  wanting  to 
marry  me,  and  now  that  I  have  refused  him  she  is 
raging  at  the  presumption  of  'That  girl*  as  she  calls 
me.  But  the  man  I  marry  will  have  to  be  a  man, 
anyway,  and  do  something  else  besides  act  as  a  tailor's 
dummy  for  displaying  fine  clothes." 

When  they  were  ready  to  start.  Miss  Parker  was 
surprised  to  see  Steve  appear  newly  arrayed  in  clean 
linen  and  a  spotless  and  neatly-pressed  light  gray  suit. 

"His  tie  is  a  little  too  vivid,  but  it  is  probably  a 
Christmas  present  from  his  mother  or  sisters.  I 
wonder  how  he  happened  to  know  that  that  shade  of 
gray  was  just  the  color  for  blonds?  He  is  more  hand- 
some than  I  thought  and  if  his  face  was  not  so  tanned 
would  be  quite  distinguished  looking."  Thus  did  Miss 
Parker  take  mental  appraisement  of  her  cavalier,  and 
her  next  remark  was  along  that  line. 

"How  did  you  achieve  it?"  inquired  she,  looking 
him  over, 

92 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

"Achieve  what?"  asked  Steve, 

"A  fresh  toilet,  so  far  from  home?  Do  you  carry  a 
Saratoga  along  with  you  as  Reggie  does?" 

"No,"  answered  Steve.  "I  told  my  sister  to  bring 
me  clothes  over.  She  couldn't  come  to  the  picnic,  but 
is  going  to  the  dance,  and  came  just  after  we  got 
through  supper." 

"Well,  I  am  agreeably  surprised.  When  I  saw  you 
brushing  the  dust  off  your  clothes  before  going  in  to 
supper  I  supposed  that  was  all  the  concession  a  cow- 
boy made  to  the  conventions,  but  now  I  am  prepared 
for  anything.  Have  the  rest  been  equally  as  fortunate  ?" 

"No,  they  ain't  all  lucky  enough  to  have  a  sister 
bring  them  a  fresh  relay  of  clothes,  but  they  are  all  out 
in  the  bunk  house  doin'  their  best.  The  first  man 
dressed  always  had  the  best  clothes.  He  picks  out 
what  he  wants  regardless  of  who  they  belong  to,  and 
the  rest  take  what  they  can  get.  Blackie  had  to  sit 
on  the  clothes  my  sister  brought  him  while  he  shaved, 
and  the  only  thing  Ira  could  find  that  wasn't  already 
appropriated  was  a  clean  collar,  so  when  I  came  out  he 
was  puttin'  on  the  clothes  I  pulled  off." 

"I  wouldn't  think  they  could  be  any  great  improve- 
ment over  what  he  had  on,  after  you  have  been  rolling 
around  in  the  dirt  in  them  all  day,  wrestling  and  buck- 
ing," laughed  Miss  Parker. 

"No,  but  he  thinks  they  are.  And  they  say  imagina- 
tion is  a  great  thing." 

It  was  only  four  miles  from  the  Alton  Ranch  to 
Kiowa,  where  the  dance  was  to  be  held,  and  as  it  was 
early,  Steve  drove  slowly  along ;  twilight  deepened  into 
the  thick  darkness  of  a  summer  night,  which  pressed 
upon  the  senses  with  strange  hipnotic  power.  Soon 
the  shifting  gleams  of  a  new  moon  threw  a  luminous 
whiteness  over  the  silent  prairie,  piercing  the  gloom. 

The  girl  had  the  senitive  organism  of  all  artistic 
93 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G^'  RANCH 

people,  to  which  the  forces  of  nature  made  a  strong 
appeal.  They  both  fell  silent  for  awhile,  and  then  Miss 
Parker  spoke  out  of  her  simple  child-like  faith. 

"I  do  not  wonder  that  God  used  to  talk  direct  to 
people  when  they  lived  simple,  pastoral  lives,  so  close 
to  nature.  I  can  feel  my  soul  expand,  and  seemingly 
being  purged  of  everything  petty,  small,  and  mean. 
It  is  not  surprising  that  wickedness  thrives  in  the  cities. 
People  are  shut  in  until  their  souls  become  as  narrow 
as  the  walls  of  the  box-like  places  that  confine  their 
bodies,  and  which  they  call  *home/ 

"Right  now  is  the  season  of  hottest  weather  in  New 
York,  and  my  heart  aches  with  pity  when  I  think  of  all 
the  people  who  are  sweltering  with  the  unbearable  heat. 
Wouldn't  it  be  splendid  if  we  could,  by  some  magic, 
puff  through  its  noisy  streets  some  of  this  dry,  cool 
air?" 

"Yes,  but  it  is  impossible  to  take  the  air  to  the  people, 
and  when  the  people  are  brought  to  the  air  they  often 
pine  and  fret  until  they  get  back  again.  A  man  from 
New  York  came  out  here  for  lung  trouble  a  few  years 
ago.  He  was  improvin'  right  along,  but  the  silence  and 
loneliness  that  appeal  so  to  you  got  on  his  nerves  he 
said,  and  he  went  back.  Said  he'd  rather  live  one  year 
there,  than  fifty  out  here — and  it's  the  same  way  with 
women. 

"There's  lots  of  girls  come  out  here  from  the  city 
to  teach  and  they  pretend  to  like  it  awfully  well,  but  I 
notice  very  few  of  them  marry  and  stay  out  here,  and  it 
ain't  because  they  lack  chances.  Women  are  so  scarce 
out  here  that  most  any  kind  of  a  girl,  no  matter  how 
homely,  can  get  a  pretty  decent  sort  of  a  man,  as  men 
go,  for  a  husband.  I  suppose  you  are  like  the  rest, 
you'll  amuse  yourself  with  us  poor  cowpunchers  for 
the  summer,  but  when  it  comes  to  marryin',  it'll  be  the 
bean  cater  from  Boston  that'll  win  out," 

94 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  laughingly  answered  she. 
"Since  the  world  began  women  have  blindly  followed 
men  who  have  been  great  enough  to  inspire  them  with 
sufficient  love.  I  suppose  I  am  no  exception  to 
the  rule,  and  would  go  anywhere,  or  live  anywhere  if 
the  right  man  beckoned." 

"Well,  if  that's  the  case  I*m  goin'  to  try  mighty  hard 
to  be  that  man  and  don't  you  forget  it,  but  here  we 
are  at  Kiowa,  and  there  comes  Blackie  with  Miss 
Little." 

Now  Steve  had  not  been  strictly  truthful  when  he 
told  Miss  Parker  that  he  had  come  to  the  picnic  in 
the  buggy  because  he  had  heard  that  she  was  to  be 
there.  He  had  really  intended  to  take  Miss  Little,  who 
had  told  him  in  the  spring,  w^hen  she  was  leaving,  that 
she  would  be  out  at  the  picnic  the  Fourth,  and  had 
confirmed  it  in  her  letter  applying  for  the  school  for 
the  next  winter. 

We  are  all  aware  of  the  value  of  opposition  in  mat- 
ters of  the  heart.  Many  parents,  by  opposing  a  match, 
have  hurried  on  what  they  hoped  to  avert.  So  the 
rivalry  between  Steve  and  Blackie  had  stimulated  the 
interest  of  both.  This  Miss  Little  well  knew,  and  had 
mercilessly  led  them  both  on,  although  as  long  as  she 
felt  sure  of  them,  she  did  not  think  she  wanted  either. 
All  summer  she  had  been  debating  the  matter  in  her 
mind,  and  it  was  not  as  to  which  one  she  would  take. 
She  had  long  ago  decided  against  Blackie,  who  had 
been  shrewd  enough  to  divine  it,  and  so  had  not  put 
the  question  to  the  test. 

She  did  not  want  to  become  engaged  and  put  an  end 
to  the  fascinating  game  she  had  been  playing  all  winter. 
"It  was  much  nicer  to  have  two  lovers  than  one," 
she  thought,  but  there  was  one  thing  on  which  she  had 
not  reckoned.  After  she  had  left,  and  there  was  no 
longer  the  incentive  of  outwitting  Blackie,  Steve's  in- 

95 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

terest  in  the  game  began  to  flagg,  and  when  he  saw 
Miss  Parker,  he  forgot  all  about  his  earlier  intention, 
and  poor,  little  Miss  Little,  when  she  saw  the  prize 
escaping,  began  to  realize  the  extent  of  her  loss. 

When  Blackie  had  seen  Steve  getting  ready  that 
morning  he  went  off  on  horseback,  although  he  knew 
Miss  Little  was  to  be  at  the  picnic.  He  thought,  of 
course,  Steve  was  intending  to  take  her  to  the  dance, 
and  did  not  wish  to  go  prepared  to  take  her,  and 
chance  being  humiliated  by  seeing  her  go  off  with 
Steve,  as  had  happened  before.  When  he  learned  that 
Steve  was  going  to  take  Miss  Parker  he  borrowed  a 
cart  from  Ned,  which  was  the  only  vehicle  available, 
and  went  after  her. 

There  was  a  large  crowd  at  the  dance,  which  was 
held  in  a  hall  over  Wiley's  General  Merchandise  Store, 
and  the  place  was  well  filled.  Most  of  the  people  whom 
Miss  Parker  had  met  at  the  picnic  were  there  and  a 
good  many  others.  The  air  became  rather  close  in  the 
early  part  of  the  evening,  and  the  fastidious  Reggie, 
who  was  devoting  himself  to  Miss  Little  in  hopes 
.  of  making  Miss  Parker  jealous,  began  to  sniff  and 
coming  up  to  Ned  who  was  talking  to  Steve,  said: 

"Really,  Ned,  this  air  is  stifling,  don't-cher-know.  I 
do  not  believe  these  people  ever  take  a  bawth.  Fll 
have  to  chuck  it  or  I'll  cat.  (Making  a  sidewise  duck 
with  his  head  and  opening  his  mouth  expressively, 
which  left  no  doubt  of  his  meaning.) 

"Well,  cat,  then,"  said  Ned,  laughing,  and  comically 
emitting  a  meow  and  spitz  like  a  cat. 

The  joke  was  too  good  to  keep  and  soon  everybody 
had  heard  of  the  way  in  which  Reggie  relieved  his 
stomach  of  any  foreign  substance,  and  there  were  de- 
lighted meowings,  spittings  and  caterwauling  all  over 
the  hall  every  time  Reggie  appeared. 

As  the  strains  of  the  first  waltz  commenced  Steve 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

led  Miss  Parker  out  on  the  floor,  and  she  was  amazed 
at  the  grace  and  ease  with  which  he  danced. 

One  after  another  of  the  cowboys  danced  with  her, 
and  paid  her  more  or  less  broadsided  compliments. 
When  she  was  dancing  with  Ira,  he  heaved  a  sigh  that 
seemingly  came  from  his  boots  and  said : 

"Gee !  but  Tm  lucky  to-night.  Dancing  my  favorite 
waltz,  with  the  prettiest  girl  I  ever  saw."  This  was 
too  much  for  Miss  Parker,  who  laughingly  appealed 
to  Marcia. 

"Tell  me,  is  the  range  a  finishing  school  for  men. 
I  never  have  been  so  jollied  in  my  life,  and  I  never 
saw  better  dancers.  I  always  understood  that  New 
Yorkers  carried  off  the  palm  for  talking  nonsense,  but 
these  cowboys  seem  to  be  past  masters  at  the  art. 
How  can  one  stem  the  tide  of  their  flattery?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Marcia,  laughing.  "It  is  not 
exactly  jollying,  for  they  mean  it  for  the  time  any- 
way. Steve  just  told  me  awhile  ago  that  the  Humane 
Society  ought  to  prevent  girls  like  you  from  straying 
off  their  natural  range.  That  it  was  cruelty  to  ani- 
mals for  you  to  come  out  here  and  make  the  boys  dis- 
contented with  home  products. 

"They  ought  to  be  good  dancers,"  continued  Marcia, 
"As  they  commenced  dancing  and  riding  about  the 
time  children  back  East  are  learning  to  walk  good. 
That  is  practically  the  only  amusement  out  here,  and 
whenever  there  is  a  dance  everybody  goes  and  takes 
all  their  children  along.  They  pack  the  babies  and 
little  ones  on  a  bed  or  in  some  corner  out  of  the  way, 
where  they  sleep  on  undisturbed  through  all  the  noise 
of  squeaking  fiddles  and  stamping  feet.  When  they 
get  old  enough  to  keep  awake  they  begin  trying  to 
dance  and  coax  somebody  to  lead  them  around  for 
awhile,  and  they  soon  get  the  step.  Their  life  ia  the 
saddle  makes  ihem  light  on  their  feet." 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

When  twelve  o'clock  came  Miss  Parker  was  enjoy- 
ing herself  as  only  a  young  girl  can  when  surrounded 
by  a  lot  of  admirers,  and  never  thought  about  her  in- 
tention of  going  home  at  that  time. 

A  few  people  who  lived  near  began  to  leave  after 
the  midnight  supper,  but  those  who  came  from  a  long 
distance  stayed  on  until  daylight  came,  to  make  driving 
over  the  prairie,  which  was  virgin  of  roads,  a  safe 
proceeding. 

Miss  Parker  and  Steve  left  the  dance  following 
closely  behind  Marcia  and  Ned  as  the  first  gray 
streaks  of  early  dawn  were  stealing  over  the  prairie, 
and  the  distant  mountain  range  that  ran  parallel  with 
their  course  still  showed  only  as  a  black  shadow  against 
the  western  horizon. 

Black,  too,  against  the  sky  at  the  south  loomed  a 
crest  of  rocky  hills  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of 
pine  trees.  The  stars  twinkled  and  grew  dim,  van- 
ishing and  lost  in  the  rosy  light  which  spread  across 
the  east,  announcing  the  birth  of  a  new  day. 

The  two  young  people  for  a  time  watched  with  some- 
thing like  awe  the  quick  changes  of  coloring  playing 
over  the  mountains  and  sky.  Miss  Parker  being 
unused  to  the  climate,  had  only  taken  along  a  light  eve- 
ning wrap,  such  as  she  used  in  the  East,  and  soon 
began  to  shiver  in  the  chill  morning  air.  She  paid  no 
attention  to  it  at  first,  but  as  the  wind  raised  with  the 
advent  of  the  sun,  the  shivering  fast  became  a  seizure. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  inquired  Steve. 

*T  do  not  know,"  answered  she.  *T  seem  to  have 
a  chill.  I  should  have  brought  along  a  warmer  wrap, 
but  I  never  thought  about  it  being  so  cold  this  morn- 
ing. I  might  have  known  it,  too,  as  I  have  been  sleep- 
ing under  blankets  ever  since  I  came.  Is  it  always 
so  cold?" 

'Tt  is  generally  cool  out  here  of  nights,  but,  of  course, 
98 


FOURTH  OF  JULY 

I  do  not  notice  it.  I  am  used  to  it.  I'll  square  myself 
around  so  as  to  keep  the  wind  off  of  you.  I  make  a 
tine  wind-break." 

"How  do  you  know,  have  you  been  used  much  for 
that  purpose.'^"  inquired  she,  mischievously.  "But  I 
know  you  have.  Such  proficiency  in  paying  compli- 
ments denotes  much  practice." 

"What  is  that  about,  Trom  the  abundance  of  the 
heart  the  mouth  speaketh?'  My  heart  has  been  talkin' 
mighty  loud  ever  since  I  saw  you  yesterday,  and  what 
Tve  told  you  ain't  half  what  it's  been  say  in'." 

**Is  it  not  behaving  rather  recklessly  for  such  short 
acquaintance?"  inquired  she. 

"Well,  maybe  the  time  is  short  as  you  measure  it 
by  days  and  weeks,  but  it  seems  to  me  like  I'd  known 
you  for  a  long  time." 

"I  can  understand  it  in  a  measure.  I  suppose  it  is 
the  vastness  and  stillness.  It  is  like  being  out  on  the 
ocean,  where  friendships  ripen  quickly.  I  will  admit 
that  you  undoubtedly  attract  me,  although  I  am  filled 
with  surprise  at  my  being  prompted  to  tell  you  so.  I 
never  would  have  admitted  as  much  to  a  man  back 
East. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  you  have  a  remarkable  amount 
of  what  is  known  as  personal  magnetism,  which  I  imag- 
ine must  have  greatly  smoothed  life's  pathway  for  you, 
and  enabled  you  to  easily  acquire  many  things  that 
others  strive  for  in  vain.  I  noticed  it  last  evening, 
when  you  boys  were  running  races  and  jumping.  It 
was  easy  to  see  that  you  and  your  brother,  whom  they 
call  *Blackie,'  were  far  ahead  of  the  others,  and  evenly 
matched  in  skill,  yet  he  received  little  applause  when 
he  won,  but  when  you  beat,  every  one  seemed  de- 
lighted. It  is  hardly  fair,  I  think,  although  no  one 
is  to  blame." 

"I  never  thought  about  it  before,"  replied  Steve 
»9 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"But  I  guess  there  is  something  in  what  you  say,  and 
if  it  enables  me  to  attract  you,  then  I  am  glad  I  have 
it.  You  must  have  quite  a  lot  of  magnetism  yourself, 
for  I've  been  plumb  locoed  ever  since  I  first  saw  you 
yesterday." 

"Perhaps  you  think  so  now,  but  to-morrow  you  may 
feel  differently.  This  early  morning  light,  I  believe,  is 
as  bad  as  moonlight  for  misleading  young  people's  af- 
fections," answered  Miss  Parker,  laughing. 

"Maybe  so,  but  I  certainly  do  enjoy  bein'  misled." 

Just  then  they  heard  another  vehicle  approaching 
and  upon  looking  around  saw  Blackie  and  Miss  Little 
behind  them. 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Steve.  "From  the 
way  you  are  makin'  that  horse  eat  up  the  road  you  two 
must  not  be  enjoyin'  yourselves." 

Blackie  growled  out  something  in  reply,  and  Miss 
Little  gave  him  an  angry  look.  They  all  four  entered 
the  house  at  the  same  time,  and  as  Steve  took  leave  of 
Miss  Parker,  with  a  tender,  caressing  look  in  his  eyes, 
Miss  Little,  with  never  a  glance  at  Blackie  hurried  out, 
her  eyes  filled  with  unshed  tears  which  came  in  a  flood 
when  she  reached  her  room.  Bitterly  did  she  regret 
her  coquetry  of  the  winter  before.  After  a  time  the 
paroxism  of  weeping  passed,  and  she  began  to  con- 
sider the  situation  in  which  she  found  herself,  and  at 
last  murmured  resolutely: 

"There  is  one  thing  sure,  no  girl  from  New  York 
will  marry  a  man  and  live  out  here,  so  I  will  teach 
the  school  this  winter  and  win  him  back.  Guess  I  had 
better  quit  playing  with  fire.  It  is  a  dangerous  pas- 
time." Finding  consolation  in  this  thought  she  fell 
asleep. 

Steve  unhitched  his  horse  and  found  a  bed  in  one 
of  the  bunk  houses,  while  Blackie  saddled  up  and  sav- 
agely galloped  homeward. 

IQQ 


FOUETH  OF  JULY 

Miss  Little  awoke  along  about  noon,  and  dctennincd 
to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  situation.  Anyway,  she 
thought,  there  was  Reggie,  who  was  in  much  the  same 
plight  as  herself,  and  had  the  added  charm  of  being 
a  millionaire. 

After  every  dance  a  number  of  cowboys  would  drift 
into  the  Alton  Ranch  to  sleep  and  rest  up.  The  day 
after  the  Fourth  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  They 
arose  when  their  fancy  dictated,  and  one  by  one  joined 
the  crowd  in  the  yard,  all  more  or  less  disheveled  after 
the  dance,  and  lounged  in  careless  ease  on  the  ground, 
heedless  alike  of  the  dirt  and  wrinkles  with  which 
their  clothes  were  being  covered.  Presently  Reggie, 
who  liked  to  listen  to  the  stories  and  good-natured 
banter  with  which  they  passed  the  time,  strolled  out; 
faultlessly  dressed  as  ever,  sox  and  tie  to  match,  and 
feet  incased  in  brilliantly  polished  tan  shoes. 

Like  all  the  English  he  had  remarkably  large  feet, 
and  this  was  a  sore  point  with  him.  He  was  always 
dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion,  and  would  stand  be- 
fore the  glass  and  preen  and  primp  by  the  hour,  but 
like  the  peacock,  when  he  looked  at  his  feet  his  spirits 
drooped  if  his  feathers  didn't  In  vain  did  he  pinch 
his  feet  into  shoes  two  or  three  sizes  too  small,  they 
still  looked  all  out  of  proportion  to  the  rest  of  his 
body. 

A  silence  fell  over  the  group  of  cowboys  as  Reggie 
appeared  among  them.  This  Reggie  accepted  as  a  fit- 
ting tribute  of  the  country  person  to  one  of  his  great 
wealth  and  as  he  deemed,  extensive  culture.  But  he 
did  not  rightly  interpret  the  cowboys.  They  were  sim- 
ply observing  him  as  they  would  a  new  specimen  from 
the  zoo,  and  when  they  were  satisfied,  fell  to  convers- 
ing as  before,  paying  no  more  attention  to  him.  At 
this  Reggie  perched  himself  on  the  fence,  and  carefully 
pulled  up  each  leg  of  his  trousers  to  keep  them  from 

101 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

bagging  at  the  knees,  revealing  his  gaudy  silk  sox  clear 
to  their  rainbow  tops.  These  caught  and  held  the 
slanting  rays  of  the  sun,  which  filtered  through  the 
leaves  of  the  trees,  and  showed  up  Reggie's  feet  in 
striking  relief  against  the  shadows  around  them.  Ned 
who  always  loved  a  joke,  looked  up  and  saw  them,  and 
with  an  appreciative  chuckle,  inquired: 

"Say,  Reggie,  how  old  are  you?" 

*T  am  twenty-three,  why?**  inquired  Reggie. 

"Oh,  go  on.  You  must  be  older  than  that,"  pro- 
tested Ned. 

"No,  I  am  not,"  answered  Reggie. 

"Why,  man,  you  must  be!"  seriously  objected  Ned. 

"No !  I  was  born  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  December 
in  the  year  of  1876,"  said  Reggie,  precisely.  "Do  you 
think  I  look  older  than  that?"  asked  he  hopefully,  for 
like  all  young  men  he  wished  to  be  thought  older  than 
he  was. 

"No,  your  face  don't,"  said  Ned.  "But  do  you  mean 
to  tell  me  you  have  grown  them  feet  in  twenty-three 
years?     Why,  man,  you  couldn't  a-done  it." 

At  the  yell  of  laughter  from  the  cowboys,  who  had 
understood  from  the  beginning  that  Ned  was  baiting 
him,  Reggie  climbed  down,  much  crestfallen,  and 
went  off  in  search  of  Miss  Little,  with  whom  he  seemed 
to  have  a  bond  in  common.  After  awhile  they  came 
past,  each  making  a  great  show  of  paying  marked  at- 
tention to  the  other,  in  hopes  of  showing  to  Steve  and 
Miss  Parker,  who  had  just  then  appeared,  that  they 
cared  nothing  for  their  slights. 


102 


VI 

DRAINING  THE  LAKE 

The  house  on  the  Alton  Ranch  was  situated  on 
Kiowa  Creek,  which  ran  through  the  place,  and  at 
the  point  where  the  buildings  were  it  spread  out  into 
a  wide,  flat  basin,  with  high  walls  on  either  side,  form- 
ing a  natural  sight  for  a  reservoir.  The  former  owner 
with  fine  business  acumen  had  taken  advantage  of  this 
and  built  a  dam  at  the  low  end  of  the  hill,  and  thus 
had  a  lake  of  quite  respectable  dimensions  for  Colo- 
rado. He  used  the  water  for  irrigating  his  meadow 
land,  and  raised  splendid  crops  of  alfalfa. 

Long  ago  it  had  been  stocked  with  several  different 
kinds  of  fish,  among  which  were  some  mud  carp. 
These  were  so  full  of  bones  that  they  were  unfit  for 
food,  so  whenever  one  was  caught  it  was  thrown  back 
into  the  lake.  By  this  process  they  soon  multiplied 
until  the  lake  was  overrun  with  them,  and  all  other 
varieties  gradually  became  extinct. 

Ever  since  the  Altons  had  owned  the  ranch  they 
had  been  planning  to  drain  the  lake  and  take  out  all 
the  carp  and  restock  it  with  good  fish,  which  could 
be  had  from  the  Government  Fisheries  outside  of  Den- 
ver. So  at  their  Fourth  of  July  picnic  they  announced 
that  the  second  Sunday  following  they  would  draw 
off  the  water  and  invited  everybody  to  come  and  bring 
their  friends. 

Now,  fresh  fish  is  almost  an  unknown  luxury  on 

103 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  &'  RANCH 

the  plains,  so  people  flocked  from  far  and  near  to  get 
some,  bringing  their  lunches,  and  making  a  gala  day 
of  it.  Ned  put  a  screen  across  the  sluice  gates,  and 
then  opened  them,  letting  the  water  rush  out  to  flood 
the  meadows  below.  Soon  the  uneasy  fish  began  flop- 
ping about. 

Men  and  boys  pulled  off  their  boots  and  shoes,  rolled 
up  their  trousers  and  waded  in.  At  first  every  one 
attended  strictly  to  catching  fish,  dipping  them  up  in 
buckets,  or  grabbing  them  with  their  hands,  until  the 
water  began  to  get  lower  and  they  could  see  that  there 
were  hundreds  of  them,  more  than  enough  for  all. 

Then  began  the  fun.  They  ducked  each  other,  and 
threw  the  soft,  slimy  mud  of  the  banks.  Suddenly, 
upon  looking  up,  Steve  saw  a  young  cowpuncher  and 
his  new  wife,  all  decked  out  in  their  nuptial  finery, 
standing  bashfully  on  the  bank.    Steve  shouted  to  Ned : 

"Look  who's  here." 

"Weil,  ril  be  doggoned!"  said  Ned.  "All  dressed 
up,  too,  with  a  biled  shirt  on.    Let's  duck  him." 

No  sooner  said  than  done.  Both  putting  on  a  look 
of  guileless  innocence,  walked  up  the  bank  as  if  to 
congratulate  the  grinning  bridegroom,  grabbed  him  at 
an  unexpected  moment  and  had  him  half  way  down  the 
bank  before  he  realized  what  they  were  up  to,  and  then 
began  a  lively  tussle.  Others  joined  the  fun  and  helped 
to  carry  the  struggling  cowboy,  down  the  bank,  and 
stand  him  on  his  head  in  the  black  mud.  Then  they 
lifted  him  and  set  his  feet  down,  and  the  thick  oozy 
mud  and  water  from  his  face  and  head  ran  all  over 
his  gay  plaid  suit. 

At  this  pandemonitim  let  loose.  Others  in  the  water 
ran  out  on  the  bank  and  grabbed  unwary  on-lookers, 
dragged  them  into  the  water,  and  woe  to  the  ones  who 
had  foolishly  donned  their  good  clothes*  They  were 
«^hc  especial  victims, 

104 


DEAINING  THE  LAKE 

Reggie  stood  beside  Miss  Parker,  and  owing  to  the 
etiquette  due  a  stranger  he  had  not  been  molested,  al- 
though many  a  longing  glance  had  been  cast  in  his 
direction,  and  they  all  would  have  been  delighted  to 
see  his  fashionable  clothes  splashed  with  mud.  But 
Reggie  was  unmindful  of  his  danger,  and  continued  to 
make  disdainful  remarks,  loud  enough  for  any  who 
were  passing  to  hear. 

This  made  Miss  Parker,  who  was  enjoying  the  fun, 
angry,  and  as  Steve  ran  past,  chasing  another  victim, 
with  a  look  and  slight  inclination  of  the  head,  she  sig- 
naled for  him  to  take  Reggie.  Nothing  could  have 
pleased  Steve  better,  and  emitting  a  loud  whoop,  which 
would  have  done  credit  to  a  Commanchee  Indian,  he 
grabbed  the  Bostonian  and  started  to  take  him  to  the 
lake,  saying: 

"Come  on,  and  take  that  bawth  youVe  been  talkin' 
so  much  about."  But  Reggie  was  not  as  easy  prey 
as  might  have  been  expected  from  his  slight  build.  He 
made  up  in  skill  in  boxing  and  wrestling  what  he  lacked 
in  size  and  muscle,  and  was  a  good  match  for  Steve's 
wiry  strength. 

Ira  ran  up  to  help  Steve,  but  Ned  who  was  standing 
near,  said: 

"Keep  back.  It  shore  don't  take  two  of  us  to  handle 
one  city  dude.*' 

Finally  Steve  took  him  down  to  the  edge  of  the  mud, 
which  was  now  several  feet  above  the  water.  Reggie's 
feet  slipped  and  he  went  down  with  Steve  on  top,  al- 
most burying  him  in  the  ooze  and  slime,  where  he  held 
him  while  he  v/ashed  his  face  with  great  handfuls  of 
mud. 

While  the  wrestling  had  been  going  on,  the  crowd 
fell  silent.  Nowhere  was  heard  the  shouting  and 
laughter  that  had  accompanied  the  downfall  of  other 
victims.     Every  one   seemed   to   recognize   the   fact 

105 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

that  the  playful  element  was  lacking  in  this  contest. 
All  were  aware  of  the  episode  of  the  Fourth,  when 
Steve  had  boldly  carried  off  the  lady  from  under  the 
nose  of  the  millionaire  who  had  crossed  the  continent 
in  her  wake,  and  were  wondering  what  the  next  move 
would  be,  but  the  lady  had  said  "Thumbs  down"  again 
for  Reggie,  and  they  were  wondering  if  it  meant 
**Thumbs  up"  for  Steve,  but  they  expressed  their  sen- 
timents only  in  sly  nudges  and  winks  as  Reggie  slunk 
off  up  the  hill,  muttering  impotent  threats  of 
vengeance. 

This  seemed  to  put  a  period  to  the  fun,  as  it  was 
already  getting  late.  Everybody  began  to  collect  their 
belongings  and  get  ready  to  start  home. 

From  Reggie's  room  could  be  heard  muttered  curs- 
ing, and  a  noise  of  tininks  and  grips  being  jerked  and 
slammed  about.  For  the  first  time  in  all  his  pampered 
life,  Reggie  was  packing  up.  That  night  he  sought  out 
Miss  Parker  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  again  pleaded 
with  her  to  marry  him  and  leave  this  beastly  place,  as 
he  called  it.  But  her  answer  was  characteristically 
open  and  frank,  and  she  said : 

"No,  Reggie  I  can't  marry  you.  I  wish  I  could,  as 
like  all  girls,  I  should  like  the  many  pretty  things  your 
money  would  buy.  It  is  too  bad,  you  were  so  molly- 
coddled in  your  youth,  for  from  the  game  fight  you 
put  up  to-day  and  the  stubbornness  you  evince  in 
your  wooing,  I  believe  there  is  good  stuff  in  you  and 
that  you  could  do  something  worth  while  if  you  ever  set 
3  VLT  mind  to  it.  Earning  my  own  living  has  made 
me  too  self-reliant,  I  suppose.  I  could  never  respect 
a  man  who  could  not  put  his  shoulder  to  the  wheel  and 
make  his  own  way." 

These  ideas  were  too  radical  for  Reggie,  and  medi- 
tating for  a  moment  he  said: 

**Well,  at  any  rate,  I  shall  start  for  New  York  in 
106 


DRAINING  THE  LAKE 

the  morning,  and  when  you  return  perhaps  you  will 
feel  differently.  I  suppose  if  I  had  to  I  could  *put 
my  shoulder  to  the  wheel/  as  you  call  it,  but  I  don't 
see  the  necessity,  don't-cher-know.  What's  the  use 
of  grinding  when  some  one  has  already  done  it  for 
you.  I  find  it  quite  hard  enough  work  putting  the 
money  in  circulation.  It  is  no  end  of  bother  stand- 
ing for  four  or  five  hours  at  a  time  while  some  grubby 
tailor  fits  my  clothes,  without  earning  the  money  to 
buy  them.  Have  to  get  up  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing to  catch  that  early  train,  so  as  to  make  connections 
in  Denver  with  a  train  going  East.  Guess  I  had  bet- 
ter say  good-bye  to  you  to-night.  Beastly  bore,  get- 
ting up  so  early.  Sure  you  won't  change  your  mind 
and  go  with  me?"  said  he,  shaking  hands  perfunctorily, 
all  other  emotions  seemingly  overshadowed  by  the 
awful  thought  of  having  to  get  up  at  five  o'clock. 

The  next  morning  as  tlie  wagon  clattered  off  bear- 
ing Reggie  and  his  huge  trunk  and  many- suitcases, 
Miss  Parker  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  as  they 
disappeared  over  the  hill,  sighed  and  said  somewhat 
regretfully  to  herself : 

"Well,  I  suppose  that  is  my  last  chance  to  become 
a  millionairess.  There  are  not  many  young  men  with 
a  million  or  two  at  his  command  searching  for  strug- 
gling young  illustrators  to  endow  with  their  riches. 
Too  bad  that  money  and  brains  so  seldom  go  together, 
especially  inherited  money.  Now  if  Reggie  was  only 
like  Steve,  or  Steve  had  Reggie's  millions — ^yes,  if,"  and 
with  that  she  drew  the  shade  and  went  back  to  bed 


107 


vn 

CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES  FROM 
COVER 

About  twenty  miles  southeast  of  Denver,  on  Cole 
Creek,  somewhat  back  from  the  road,  stands  an  old- 
fashioned,  large,  square  house,  partially  hidden  by  great 
Cottonwood  trees,  whose  shimmering  leaves  twinkle  in 
the  bright  sunlight,  and  strive  to  lessen  the  melan- 
choly gloom  that  prevades  the  premises.  Whatever 
motive  prompted  the  original  owner  to  erect  such  a 
house  on  that  dry,  barren  ranch,  was  quickly  aban- 
doned, and  the  buildings  soon  became  the  nesting  place 
of  owls  and  chattering  magpies  that  flew  in  and  out 
through  a  broken  window  pane,  making  the  empty 
rooms  to  echo  with  the  ghostly  swishing  of  tlieir  wings. 

Now  and  then  some  chance  tenant  would  occupy  the 
place  for  awhile,  but  after  a  time  it  would  be  vacated, 
and  again  revert  to  its  former  state  of  dusty  empti- 
ness. At  last  it  seemed  to  be  utterly  deserted.  No  one 
had  lived  there  for  several  years;  doors  creaked  on 
their  hinges  as  they  swung  back  and  forth  by  every 
gust  of  wind,  and  through  these  skulking  coyotes  would 
sometimes  peer  cautiously,  and  sniffing  at  the  ancient 
man  smell,  patter  about,  taking  advantage  of  this  rare 
opportunity  to  curiously  inspect  the  habitation  of  their 
greatest  enemy. 

108 


CHASIKG  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

However,  at  last  passersby  noticed  that  the  ranch 
showed  signs  of  being  occupied.  The  windows  of  the 
lower  floor  were  thrown  open,  and  a  thin  hatchet-faced 
woman  briskly  swept  and  scrubbed,  while  outside  a 
man  with  low  brow  and  heavy  visage  went  about  the 
business  of  repairing  the  corral  so  as  to  keep  his 
saddle  horse  from  straying  away.  This  done  he  rode 
about  among  the  neighbors,  buying  a  few  head  of  cattle 
here  and  there,  and  when  these  were  branded  and 
turned  loose  on  the  range  it  looked  as  though  the  old 
house  had  at  last  found  a  permanent  tenant. 

No  one  knew  from  whence  they  came,  for  whenever 
they  were  questioned  they  would  simply  state  that 
they  were  from  back  East  and  then  quickly  change 
the  subject.  As  it  was  not  considered  polite,  and 
in  many  cases  hardly  safe  to  inquire  too  closely  into 
a  man's  past,  the  matter  would  be  dropped. 

However,  it  is  not  necessary  to  know  a  person's 
former  residence  in  order  to  judge  his  character. 
Like  draws  like,  and  after  a  few  years  people  began 
to  notice  that  most  of  the  ne'er-do-wells  of  the  country 
seemed  to  collect  at  Bradley's  as  the  people  were  called, 
and  always  found  a  ready  welcome.  And  simultan- 
eously, his  herds  became  very  prolific,  and  now  and 
then  a  cow  could  be  seen  caring  for  two  calves,  while 
Bradley  bought  more  right  along,  and  always  seemed 
to  be  plentifully  supplied  with  money. 

Heavy  beef  steers  just  ready  for  market  had  a  way 
of  disappearing  suddenly  off  the  range,  and  people  be- 
gan to  couple  those  disappearances  with  the  many 
night  trips  made  by  Bradley  to  Denver,  always  with 
heavily  laden  wagon.  One  day  when  a  number  of 
them  chanced  to  meet,  the  suspicion  which  had  been 
gradually  crystalizing  in  their  minds  was  openly 
voiced,  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  they  would  all 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  proof  of  his  guilt,  and  once 

109 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

that  was  obtained  the  solution  would  be  very  simple, 
as  there  were  many  trees  quite  handy. 

The  same  night  after  this  conversation,  Steve, 
Blackie,  Flint  and  Ira  all  started  to  a  dance  which  was 
to  be  held  on  Cole  Creek  at  a  school  house  a  mile  or 
so  north  of  the  Bradley  Ranch.  They  rode  hard  so 
as  to  reach  their  destination  before  darkness  set  in,  as 
the  full  moon  on  which  they  had  relied  to  light  their 
way  was  likely  to  be  completely  obscured  by  the  heavy, 
ink-black  clouds  which  hung  menacingly  in  the  south. 

They  reached  the  school  house  about  eight  o'clock 
and  already  the  sound  of  scraping  fiddles  and  stamping 
feet  proclaimed  that  the  dance  was  in  progress. 
Through  the  open  windows  and  door  could  be  heard 
the  noise  made  by  many  feet  shuffling  and  rasping  over 
the  sand  shaken  off  the  rough  boots  and  shoes  to  the 
rough  and  knotty,  soft  pine  floor.  Figures  moved  in 
and  out  through  the  mazes  of  a  waltz,  having  learned 
from  much  practice  to  step  lightly  over  the  splinters 
and  cracks  which  would  have  been  fatal  to  the  unini- 
tiated. The  light  streaming  out  penciled  the  gloom, 
and  revealed  many  saddle  horses  hitched  to  the  fence, 
or  turned  loose  to  crop  the  short  grass  inside  the  yard, 
while  here  and  there  a  light  buggy  or  wagon  indicated 
that  there  were  enough  girls  and  women  present  to 
insure  the  dance  being  a  success. 

At  intervals  as  they  had  ridden  along  the  gentle 
stillness  of  the  night  had  been  broken  by  distant  rumb- 
lings of  thimder,  followed  by  zigzag  streaks  of  light- 
ning, shooting  downward  to  the  southern  horizon.  As 
the  boys  were  tying  their  horses  this  culminated  in  a 
sudden  blinding  flash  which  seemingly  rent  the  clouds 
apart,  and  sent  the  contents  of  some  heavenly  reservoir 
pouring  upon  the  earth.  Only  the  northern  fringe  of 
the  cloud  passed  over  their  heads,  but  the  rain  came 
down  in  columns  which,  carried  by  the  wind,  beat 

110 


CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

against  the  house  like  water  flowing  over  a  fall.  There 
was  a  quick  letting  down  of  windows,  and  the  united 
strength  of  two  men  closed  the  door  upon  the  blast. 
The  horses  humped  up  and  with  heads  pointed  toward 
the  earth  leant  back  against  the  storm,  their  tails  and 
manes  whipped  about  by  the  wind. 

The  musicians  bent  farther  over  their  instruments, 
and  strove  to  be  heard  above  the  crash  of  thunder  and 
steady  beat  of  the  rain.  So  the  hilarious  progress 
of  the  dance  was  in  no  wi^  lessened,  for  two  or  three 
strangers  who  had  come  out  from  Denver  thought- 
fully brought  along  several  bottles,  which  they  gener- 
ously passed  around  in  the  shelter  of  the  cloak  room. 

As  suddenly  as  it  started  the  rain  stopped  about 
midnight.  Shortly  afterward  some  one  called 
Blackie  outside  and  he  and  the  strangers  disappeared 
and  could  not  be  found  when  the  other  boys  were 
ready  to  start  a  couple  of  hours  later.  The  clouds 
had  cleared  away  and  the  moon  was  shining  in  all  its 
brilliant  promise,  lighting  up  the  prairie  alniost  like 
day. 

The  tough  little  bronchos  were  galloping  along  in 
steady,  even  strides,  making  but  slight  sound  as  tlieir 
feet  sank  in  the  softened  earth,  when  Steve  abruptly 
wheeled  his  horse  and  started  back  over  the  trail  they 
had  come. 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  where  are  you 
goin'?"  stuttered  Flint,  who  was  almost  inarticulate 
from  his  frequent  libations  of  the  evening. 

By  this  time  Steve  was  leaning  far  over  in  his  saddle 
closely  studying  the  ground  as  he  rode  diagonally  to 
the  way  they  had  come.  The  other  cowboys  halted, 
some  eight  or  ten  in  number,  and  rode  back  to  see  what 
Steve  had  found. 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  they  as  they  came 
up. 

Ill 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Looks  like  somebody  has  been  driving  cattle  along 
here  since  the  rain.    Here  are  a  lot  of  tracks." 

"Maybe  it's  a  bunch  goin'  to  the  creek  for  water/' 
observed  one. 

"No,  I  see  a  horse's  track,"  objected  Steve,  who 
had  dismounted  and  was  scrutinizing  the  ground  more 
closely. 

"Here's  another  track  on  this  side,"  said  Ira.  "There 
are  three  horses  altogether,  and  one  is  shod." 

"Yes  and  they  are  headed  straight  for  the  Bradley 
Ranch.  If  they  was  goin'  in  any  other  direction  I 
wouldn't  think  anything  about  it,  but  it  might  be  worth 
while  for  us  to  follow  it  up." 

"Come  on,"  shouted  the  others,  starting  ofif.  They 
had  all  drunk  just  enough  to  make  them  ready  for 
any  adventure,  no  matter  how  reckless. 

"Hold  on,"  called  Steve.  "  This  is  no  picnic.  If 
we  are  goin'  after  cattle  thieves  we  have  got  to  be 
more  careful.  And  before  we  go  any  farther  we  had 
better  examine  our  guns  and  see  if  they  are  loaded." 

At  this  they  all  gathered  around,  and  somewhat 
sobered  at  Steve's  serious  tone,  began  to  break  their 
revolvers,  and  reload.  Some  borrowing  cartridges 
from  those  whose  belts  were  more  plentifully  stocked 
than  their  own.  At  last  they  were  all  ready  and 
started  out,  following  the  trail  of  the  cattle,  which  was 
plainly  marked  and  went  straight  toward  the  Cole 
Creek  ranch. 

"They  are  sure  gettin'  bold  to  drive  these  cattle 
straight  to  the  ranch,  right  after  a  rain,  on  the  very 
night  when  there  was  a  dance  at  the  school  house, 
and  some  of  the  crowd  would  be  sure  to  cross  it,"  ob- 
served Fred. 

"I  guess  they  thought  we  would  all  be  too  drunk 
to  notice  it,"  remarked  Ira,  succinctly.  "Looks  like 
there  are  some  calves  in  the  bimch.    Guess  some  more 

112 


CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

of  Bradley's  cows  will  come  out  with  twins  to-mor- 
row." 

"What  does  he  do  with  the  cattle?"  inquired  Flint. 

"He  must  kill  them  and  haul  them  in  to  Denver,  as 
none  of  his  bunch  show  any  blotched  brands.     He 

takes  a  lot  of  beef  to  town,  and  I  think .    But  what 

it  was,  Steve  thought  was  lost  in  a  sudden  roaring, 
swishing  sound  of  rushing  waters.  Upon  looking 
up  as  they  were  about  to  cross  the  creek,  the  startled 
cowboys  could  dimly  see  through  the  thick  shadows 
cast  by  the  cottonwood  trees  a  high  wall  of  water  bear- 
ing down  upon  them. 

"Hurry,"  shouted  Steve  to  his  followers.  "There's 
been  a  cloudburst  up  stream,  and  a  flood  is  comin' 
down  the  creek.  We  can  make  it  if  we  get  a  move  on." 
Spurring  their  horses  they  scurried  across  with  so  little 
time  to  spare  that  the  oncoming  wave  caught  the  last 
horse  and  swept  him  around  as  he  was  clambering  up 
the  steep,  high  bank  above.  His  nimble  rider  lightly 
sprang  over  his  head  and,  holding  onto  the  reins,  en- 
abled him  to  secure  a  footing  and  make  his  way  to 
safety. 

Fortunately  they  came  out  on  a  high  bluflF,  otherwise 
they  would  have  been  carried  down  with  the  flood,  for 
as  they  stood  looking  back  at  the  peril  from  which 
they  had  so  narrowly  escaped  they  could  see  from  the 
moonlight  gleaming  on  the  water  that  the  low  meadow 
land  an  the  other  side  was  already  covered. 

At  a  sign  from  Steve,  whom  they  had  instinctively 
chosen  as  their  leader,  they  rode  silently  on  their  way. 
The  crashing  of  falling  trees  and  the  roar  of  the  flood 
drowning  all  other  sounds,  and  making  speech  impos- 
sible. 

Faintly  and  then  louder  as  they  neared  the  ranch 
could  be  heard  the  sound  of  calves  bawling.  The  cow- 
boys rode  up  in  the  shadow  of  the  cgrral  where  the 

113 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

calves  were  penned,  tied  their  horses  to  a  tree,  loos- 
ened their  pistols  in  their  belts,  and  drew  them  around 
so  as  to  be  easier  to  get,  and  bending  over,  slowly 
but  steadily  crept  around  to  the  barn. 

A  ray  of  light  penetrated  through  a  chink  in  the  rock 
foundation,  and  the  sound  of  a  muttered  curse  greeted 
their  ears. 

They  slipped  around  to  the  bam  door  and  opened  it 
carefully,  but  the  absence  of  light  or  sound,  convinced 
them  there  must  be  an  underground  room. 

Cautiously  they  made  their  way  round  the  barn 
again,  searching  for  an  outside  door  to  the  cellar,  but 
save  for  the  little  crack  in  the  wall,  which  sent  out  a 
penciled  ray  of  light,  there  appeared  to  be  no  other 
opening. 

One  after  another  tried  to  see  what  was  going  on 
inside  by  peering  through  the  chink,  but  it  did  not  seem 
to  be  favorably  located  to  give  them  a  view  of  the  men 
or  their  occupation. 

While  the  rest  were  striving  to  look  in  through  the 
small  opening  in  the  wall,  Steve  and  Ira  went  around 
to  the  other  end,  and  from  the  many  tracks  leading 
to  and  from  the  corral  they  decided  that  they  must 
have  driven  the  cattle  inside  and  killed  them.  Care- 
fully opening  the  double  doors  they  saw  a  rope  dang- 
ling from  a  pulley  above  to  an  open  trap  door,  while 
lying  close  by  were  three  dead  steers,  ready  to  be  low- 
ered to  the  cellar  below,  where  doubtless  their  com- 
rades were  now  being  skinned. 

Ira  motioned  for  the  rest  to  follow,  which  they  did  ; 
the  roar  of  the  flood  drowning  what  little  sound  they 
made  walking  over  the  moist  earth. 

From  below  could  be  heard  the  men  busily  skinning 
an  animal  and  chatting  away.  Long  immunity  had 
made  them  careless  of  discovery,  and  one  might  have 
thought  from  the  way  they  talked  and  discussed  neigh- 

114 


CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

borhood  gossip  that  they  were  following  the  most  hon- 
est pursuit  in  the  world. 

With  tense  nerves  and  bated  breath  the  cowboys 
gathered  around  the  opening,  and  halting  a  moment, 
tried  to  determine  from  the  conversation  how  many 
were  beneath  them.  The  creek  boomed  and  tumbled 
nearby,  and  the  rays  of  the  moon  came  in  at  the  open 
door,  lighting  up  the  dark  interior. 

Scorning  the  stairway  as  being  too  slow  a  mode  of 
approach,  Steve  was  about  to  swing  himself  down 
when  a  rooster  perched  on  a  beam  behind  them  awoke 
with  surprise  at  the  bright  light  streaming  in  and  evi- 
dently thinking  that  he  had  overslept,  hastily  stretched 
himself,  and  a  shrill  cock-a-doodle-doo  rent  the  air  as 
he  sent  out  his  clarion  announcement  of  the  dawn. 

Flint  jumped  and  dropped  his  gun  with  a  clatter, 
and  the  startled  cowboys,  galvanized  into  sudden  ac- 
tion, tumbled  pell  mell  through  the  hole  after  Steve, 
who  had  swung  himself  down  immediately  with  the 
crash  of  the  falling  gun. 

As  he  landed  he  saw  a  foot  swing  out  and  kick  over 
a  lantern  which  dimly  lighted  the  low  vault-like  room. 
The  light  flared  up  and  flickering  a  moment  went  out, 
but  that  momentary  flash  revealed  three  frightened 
men  straightening  up  from  over  an  animal  which  they 
had  been  skinning.  To  one  side  were  two  other  beeves, 
already  dressed  and  suspended  from  a  joist  overhead 
to  cool. 

Thick,  impenetrable  darkness  now  enveloped  them 
like  a  wall.  The  cowboys  picked  themselves  up  and 
closed  in  around  Steve.  Momentarily  expecting  an 
attack  they  breathlessly  waited,  every  sense  on  the 
alert.  The  silence  was  so  great  they  could  hear  a  watch 
in  Ira's  pocket  busily  ticking  off  the  seconds,  and  every 
second  seemed  an  age. 

Presently  from  the  other  side  of  the  room  could  be 
115 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

heard  a  vague  sound  as  of  some  one  tugging  and  pull- 
ing at  a  heavy  object  Thinking  they  were  trying  to 
make  a  barricade  of  the  dead  animals  two  cowboys  sta- 
tioned themselves  so  as  to  guard  the  stairway,  while 
the  rest  with  drawn  revolvers  began  to  stealthily  creep 
through  the  darkness. 

Quietly  they  made  their  way  for  a  few  steps,  and 
then  without  warning,  stumbled  and  fell  headlong  over 
the  steer  which  they  discovered  still  remained  in  the 
center  of  the  room.  Getting  up  they  reached  out  grop- 
ingly, but  found  nothing  but  emptiness,  or  the  blank 
dirt  wall.  They  were  feeling  their  way  along  this  when 
Ira  came  to  an  open  space,  and  thinking  it  might  be 
a  passage  leading  outside,  peered  in,  but  nothing  but 
the  same  thick  gloom  met  his  view  through  which  it 
was  impossible  to  distinguish  any  object.  Putting  out 
his  hand  he  started  to  enter  and  touched  a  rough,  heavy 
door  which  swollen  from  the  damp,  and  with  hinges 
rusted  from  lack  of  use,  was  slowly  being  forced  shut 
by  an  unseen  hand. 

Instantly  throwing  his  weight  against  the  door  he 
wedged  it  open  with  his  foot  and  shouted  to  his  com- 
panions : 

"Come  here!  They've  gone  out  through  a  tunnel 
and  are  tryin  'to  close  the  door  behind  them."  But 
with  his  cry  a  hand  reached  around  the  edge  of  the 
door  and  a  long  pointed  knife  pierced  his  shoulder; 
Ira  flinched;  the  door  went  shut,  and  a  large  iron  bar 
fell  into  place  just  as  the  cowboys  brought  their  united 
weight  against  it. 

The  two  who  had  been  left  to  guard  the  stairway 
rushed  to  their  assistance,  and  as  Steve  turned  to  brace 
himself  better  he  saw  a  form  appear  in  the  trap  door, 
darkly  silhouetted  against  the  moonlight  streaming 
down.  At  first  he  thought  it  was  one  of  the  cowboys 
going  for  a  pole  to  use  as  a  battering  ram,  but  as  the  fig- 

116 


CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

ure  dashed  up  the  stairs  the  true  situation  burst  upon 
him. 

"Hell  r  he  exclaimed.  ''They've  tricked  us.  There 
goes  one  up  the  stairs."  With  two  leaps  he  was  at  the 
top  of  the  stair,  and  darting  to  the  door,  saw  a  man 
crouched  low,  and  running  across  the  corral  to  where 
the  horses  were  tied. 

Vaulting  over,  the  runner  whipped  out  a  knife,  cut 
the  reins  of  the  nearest  horse,  swung  himself  into  the 
saddle  and  galloped  away  up  the  creek,  just  as  Steve 
jumped  over  the  fence  after  him.  Not  having  a  knife 
precious  moments  were  lost  in  untying  his  horse,  but 
once  in  the  saddle  he  gained  steadily  on  the  fugitive, 
who,  seeing  his  plight,  rode  his  horse  toward  the  creek, 
and  attempted  to  force  him  into  the  whirling  torrent 
But  tlie  beast  snorted,  and  stood  stubbornly  on  the 
bank,  unmindful  alike  of  whip  and  spur.  He  knew 
that  the  threat  which  lurked  in  the  voice  of  the  flood 
was  no  idle  jest,  while  the  oncoming  horse  was  only 
one  of  his  comrades,  and  carried  no  menace  for  him 
personally.  His  instincts  warned  him  that  his  rider 
was  urged  on  by  some  desperate  fear,  and  had  need 
of  haste,  but  they  also  told  him  that  he  was  one  of 
those  unfortunates  who  never  received  voluntary  love 
or  obedience  from  either  man  or  beast  They  did 
his  will  it  is  true,  but  only  when  they  must,  and  it 
was  self-interest,  fear  or  hatred  that  prompted  them. 

But  the  man  had  cunning,  and  apparently  yielding 
the  point,  turned  and  rode  out  across  the  prairie,  his 
pursuer  hot  on  his  trail,  and  when  the  horse  had 
warmed  to  the  race,  with  infinite  craft  circled  and 
again  rode  toward  the  creek.  This  time  when  he 
reached  the  edge  the  horse  had  too  much  impetus  to 
stop,  and  with  a  wide  spring  landed  far  out  in  the 
swirling  stream. 

The  water  was  almost  to  the  top  of  the  bank  from 
U7 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

which  he  jumped  and  close  by  the  current  was  run- 
ning swift  and  strong.  Bravely  he  struggled,  the 
hoarse  voice  of  his  rider  urging  him  on  with  curse  and 
shout,  until  the  seething  current  caught  and  rolled 
him  over  and  over,  in  a  mad  race  down  stream. 

Steve  made  ready  his  lariat  as  he  galloped  up,  and 
paused  a  moment  before  throwing  it,  closely  scanning 
the  surface  of  the  water,  trying  in  the  dim  light  to 
distinguish  the  man  from  the  floating  driftwood. 
Thinking  he  must  have  been  carried  farther  down  he 
was  about  to  ride  along  the  bank  when  he  saw  a  dark 
object  appear  and  a  hand  reach  up  and  clutch  at  a 
limb  as  it  was  swept  past  a  tree. 

Shouting  to  attract  the  drowning  man's  attention, 
Steve  threw  his  rope,  and  the  loop  settled  over  him,  but 
before  he  could  tighten  it  up  the  undertow  drew  him 
beneath  the  surface. 

Quickly  recoiling  his  rope  he  threw  it  again,  and 
caught  him  by  the  head  and  shoulders  the  next  time 
he  was  cast  up  by  the  churning  water,  and  riding  in- 
land, dragged  him  to  shore. 

Seeing  that  he  made  no  effort  to  rise,  Steve  dis- 
mounted, pulled  him  a  little  farther  upon  the  bank, 
and  then  turned  him  over  to  see  whom  he  had  rescued. 
But  the  moon  hid  behind  a  cloud  for  a  moment  as  it 
ashamed  of  the  revelation  it  was  about  to  make. 
Slowly  the  clouds  drifted  onward,  the  moonlight  fil- 
tered through  the  leaves,  and  when  the  man's  face 
lay  revealed,  Steve  sprang  back  with  a  cry  of  horror, 
hardly  able  to  believe  the  evidence  of  his  eyes. 

Choking  and  coughing,  the  half -drowned  man 
stumbled  up  and  made  Steve  an  ironic  bow. 

"Bon  matin,  mon  frere"  said  he  with  a  sardonic 
grin.    "It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  see  you." 

"Well,  it  don't  give  me  great  pleasure  to  see  you," 
answered  Steve.    "If  I'd  known  it  was  you  I'd  a  let  you 

118 


CHASI]S^G  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

drown,  for  that  would  be  a  much  better  end  than  the 
hangin'  you'll  get  as  soon  as  the  other  boys  come  up." 

"You'll  stand  by  and  let  them  hang  me,  I  suppose, 
and  glad  of  the  chance.  Maybe  you'll  pull  the  rope," 
said  Blackie  with  a  sneer.    **You  are  a  great  brother." 

**No,  I'll  not  pull  the  rope,  but  you  would  if  it  was 
me.  If  they  find  you  here  they'll  not  ask  me  any 
odds,  but'll  string  you  up  to  the  nearest  tree.  For  I'll 
not  take  sides  with  a  cattle  thief,  even  if  he  is  my 
brother,  which  you  are  not,  when  it  comes  right  down 
to  the  point,  although  this  is  the  first  time  anybody  has 
ever  reminded  you  of  it.  We  have  been  brought  up  as 
brothers,  and  you've  had  the  same  chances  as  I've 
had,  but  it  seems  to  have  done  you  little  good.  So 
far  I've  always  stood  by  you,  but  you've  started  on 
a  trail  that  I  don't  care  to  travel,  an'  you'll  have  to 
go  it  alone." 

At  this,  Blackie,  who  had  considered  himself  safe 
ever  since  he  had  recognized  Steve's  voice  when  he 
shouted  to  him,  lost  some  of  his  jauntiness,  and  a  look 
of  fear  crept  into  his  face  in  spite  of  his  attempt  at 
bravado. 

"Well,  let's  not  let  them  find  me  here,  then.  All 
you  have  to  do  is  to  ride  back  and  tell  them  that  the 
man  you  was  chasin'  tried  to  cross  the  creek  and  was 
drowned.  That  won't  be  hard  for  them  to  believe  the 
way  the  creek  is  now,  an'  I'll  make  a  get-a-w^ay.  You 
might  give  me  one  more  chance,  anyway,"  said  he,  and 
with  a  searching  glance  at  Steve  he  remarked  sug- 
gestively. "I've  a  neat  little  sum  saved  up,  an'  we'll 
go  halves." 

"Shut  up !  You  damned  thief.  I  don't  want  any  of 
your  dirty  money.  If  I  help  you  to  get  away,  and  keep 
still,  it  will  be  for  the  sake  of  our  fathef  and  mother, 
and  the  family  that  will  be  disgraced  if  they  hang  you, 
as  you  deserve.    But  before  I  do  anything,  you've  got 

119 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

to  promise  right  here  to  quit  rustlin*  for  good,  or  111 
leave  you  to  take  your  medicine." 

"I'll  promise,  all  right,"  said  Blackie  hurriedly.  "I 
always  heard  there  was  honor  among  thieves,  but  them 
damned  cowards  never  even  told  me  they  had  a  tun- 
nel, or  I  wouldn't  a  been  caught  You  get  me  out  of 
this,  and  1*11  never  mix  with  that  bunch  again." 

While  they  had  been  talking  the  horse  Blackie  had 
been  riding  was  carried  down  stream,  and  coming  to  a 

Elace  where  the  creek  made  a  bend  and  formed  a  sand- 
ar,  found  the  current  less  swift  and  swam  out  Then 
like  some  person  who  has  narrowly  escaped  death,  and 
thankful  to  be  alive,  seeks  the  society  of  his  fellow- 
men,  he  trotted  up  and  began  nosing  Steve's  horse  in 
friendly  sympathy. 

"By  Gee,  there's  the  horse  I  was  ridin',"  said 
Blackie,  and  running  to  him,  mounted  and  galloped 
away,  leaving  Steve  gazing  after  him  with  a  look  in 
which  relief  and  amazement  mingled. 
"  "Well,  if  he  ain't  the  lucky  one,"  said  Steve.  "I 
was  just  wonderin'  how  I  was  to  get  him  away  from 
here."  With  that  he  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  back 
to  the  ranch. 

When  he  arrived  he  found  the  other  boys  just  ready 
to  motmt  and  start  on  the  trail  of  the  rustlers,  whom 
they  judged  had  ridden  toward  Denver,  having  made 
their  escape  while  the  door  to  the  tunnel  was  being 
broken  down.  This  took  some  time  as  it  was  made  of 
heavy  boards,  reinforced  across  the  back  by  willow 
poles  about  the  size  of  a  man's  arm,  and  all  held  shut 
by  three  iron  bars.  It  took  time  to  find  the  ax  and  hew 
a  way  through  this,  and  when  they  had  done  so  and 
cautiously  entered,  they  found  nothing  but  the  empty 
passage,  which  ended  in  an  old  dry  well  back  of  a 
shed.  A  large  bucket  suspended  from  a  pulley,  dis- 
closed their  means  of  reaching  the  surface,  while  a 

120 


CHASING  THE  CATTLE  THIEVES 

half-filled  manger  denoted  the  presence  of  horses  that 
had  evidently  enabled  them  to  make  good  their  escape. 

Before  leaving  they  went  to  the  house,  which  during 
all  the  excitement  had  shown  no  life,  and  getting  no 
response  to  their  repeated  knocking,  they  opened  the 
door  and  went  in,  only  to  find  the  place  deserted. 
From  the  disorder  all  over  the  house  it  looked  like  the 
men  had  been  keeping  bachelor's  camp  for  some  time, 
as  Bradley's  wife  was  known  to  be  scrupulously  neat 
in  her  housekeeping. 

While  the  rest  were  examining  the  house,  Steve  went 
into  the  barn  and  finding  Blackie's  horse  tied  in  one 
of  the  stalls,  unsaddled  it,  hid  the  saddle  under  some 
hay  in  the  loft,  and  turned  the  horse  loose  on  the 
range. 

The  moon  went  down,  and  the  thick  darkness  that 
precedes  the  dawn,  settled  over  the  earth  just  as  the 
cowboys  started  out  to  scour  the  country  in  search  of 
the  fugitives.  From  the  neighbors  they  learned  that 
Bradley  and  his  wife  were  supposed  to  be  on  a  visit 
somewhere  in  the  East,  and  it  must  have  been  some 
other  members  of  the  gang  whom  they  had  surprised. 

People  along  the  road  to  Denver  had  been  aroused 
in  the  early  morning  by  their  dogs  barking,  and  had 
heard  the  sound  of  galloping  horses,  but  further  than 
that  nothing  was  learned  as  to  who  the  rustlers  were. 

Bradley  returned  from  the  East  in  a  few  days,  and 
was  arrested  as  he  stepped  off  the  train,  but  when  his 
trial  came  up  he  produced  an  alibi  which  secured  his 
release  for  the  time,  although  every  one  was  sure  he 
was  the  leader  of  the  gang,  even  if  he  had  not  been 
mixed  up  in  that  particular  event. 

Several  of  his  cronies  were  suspected,  but  there 
was  not  enough  proof  to  warrant  their  arrest,  so  the 
people  very  reluctantly  dropped  the  case  for  the  time. 

The  beeves  that  had  been  butchered  were  turned  over 
121 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

to  their  respective  owners  as  indicated  by  the  brands 
wliich  they  bore,  and  Bradley  very  wisely  returned  to 
the  East  for  an  indefinite  visit 

Blackie  had  the  wisdom  to  ride  straight  home,  and 
turned  the  horse,  on  which  he  made  his  escape,  loose 
to  stray  home.  It  was  the  one  Ira  had  ridden  to  the 
dance,  and  Walter  Milton  found  it  a  day  or  so  later 
with  a  bunch  of  range  stock.  Everybody  supposed  it 
had  swam  the  creek,  and  tliere  was  much  speculation 
as  to  what  had  become  of  the  rider,  but  as  no  one 
was  missing  in  the  neighborhood,  and  no  dead  body 
had  been  found  along  the  creek,  it  was  decided  that 
whoever  it  was  must  have  by  some  chance  been  saved 
from  drowning.  No  one  thought  of  connecting 
Blackie  with  the  case,  and  Steve  hoped  that  the  scare 
he  had  received  would  serve  as  a  warning  to  him  in 
future,  but  knowing  how  untamable  was  his  spirit,  he 
was  much  afraid  that  it  would  not  be  effective. 

With  nothing  to  feed  upon  the  excitement  soon  died 
down,  and  after  a  time  Bradley  judging  rightly  the 
tolerent  attitude  of  the  Westerner,  returned  with  his 
wife  and  settled  into  the  usual  routine  of  life.  But 
it  was  noticed  that  not  so  many  fat  steers  disappeared 
off  the  range  as  before. 


122 


^    vm 

MISS  PARKER  MAKES  A  PIE       "^ 

One  morning  about  the  first  of  August,  Ned  and 
Marcia  determined  to  go  after  some  of  their  beef  steers 
that  had  strayed  off  the  range  and  which  a  cowboy 
who  passed  the  day  before  had  told  them  were  about 
twenty  miles  east. 

As  it  was  a  long  ride  Miss  Parker  decided  to  stay 
at  home  and  write  some  letters.  That  was  the  only 
task  she  had  set  for  herself  while  in  the  West,  to  write 
long  and  interesting  letters  to  her  many  friends,  some 
of  whom  she  did  not  find  time  to  write  more  than  once 
a  year. 

Collecting  her  writing  materials  and  a  couple  of 
cushions  she  soon  had  herself  comfortably  ensconced 
in  a  hammock  which  swung  between  two  enormous 
Cottonwood  trees  south  of  the  house,  and  commanded 
a  view  of  the  gate. 

She  was  interrupted  in  the  midst  of  the  first  letter  by 
the  clattering  of  hoofs  on  the  dry,  hard  road,  and 
presently  an  opening  in  the  trees  disclosed  to  view  a 
short,  stocky  figure  on  a  little  roan  pony,  bouncing  up 
and  down  with  every  step  of  the  horse,  his  tow-col- 
ored hair  flying  in  the  breeze.  He  drew  rein  and 
called  out : 

"Hello,  leddy!  Me  bane  Yon  Yonson.  Me  little 
123 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

poy  youst  got  a  bane  his  nose  oop.     My  vife  youst 
tell  me — go  get  Mrs,  Alton.    You  tell  her — hein?" 

Hardly  able  to  restrain  her  laughter  at  his  queer  dia- 
lect Miss  Parker  went  to  look  for  Mrs.  Alton,  who 
came  out  and  made  inquiries  as  to  what  had  now  hap- 
pened to  the  "Calamity  Danes/'  as  Ned  had  long  ago 
dubbed  them.  She  was  used  to  such  calls  for  some 
one  of  their  numerous  brood  of  clumsy  and  awkward 
children,  in  their  efforts  to  overcome  the  handicap  of 
heredity  and  become  cowpunchers  and  broncho- 
busters,  were  always  getting  hurt,  and  then  would  send 
post  haste  for  Mrs.  Alton. 

The  little  Danish  boys  made  yaliant  efforts,  but  they 
did  not  take  kindly  to  the  saddle,  as  they  came  from 
a  long  line  of  peasant  ancestry,  who  had  been  their  own 
beasts  of  burden  for  centuries. 

The  horse  in  the  old  countries  is  the  dearly  jwized 
possession  of  the  rich.  Even  now  the  father  never' 
thought  of  saddling  a  horse  when  he  wished  to  drive  in 
the  milk  cows,  or  head  a  refractory  animal  about  his 
ranch.  He  would  simply  set  out  on  foot  and  run  so 
fast  that  his  feet  could  hardly  be  seen  to  touch  the 
ground,  but  seemed  to  be  twinkling  along  in  the  air. 

So  the  children  had  a  hard  time  of  trying  to  acquire 
that  oneness  of  horse  and  man  that  seemed  to  be  the 
natural  inheritance  of  the  other  plains-bom  children,  i 
As  a  result  Mrs.  Alton  had  become  sort  of  an  emerg-' 
ency  surgeon.  Setting  broken  limbs,  sewing  up  cuts, 
and  otherwise  coming  to  the  rescuce,  when  the  little 
two-year-old  Mollie  decided  that  a  rattle  snake  was  a 
suitable  toy,  or  the  baby  had  a  bane  his  nose  oop  as 
in  the  present  instance. 

Telling  the  man  to  drive  up  Little  Don,  and  saddle 
him  for  her,  she  went  off  to  put  on  her  riding  habit. 
For,  in  spite  of  her  age  and  white  hair,  she  still  rode 
horseback  wheai  in  a  hurry,  as  in  that  way  one  could 

124 


ItT" 


MISS  PARKER  MAKES  A  PIE 

frequently  make  short  cuts  across  the  country,  where 
a  buggy  would  have  to  make  long  detours  to  find  a  safe 
crossmg  through  the  many  gulches. 

She  was  soon  ready  and  they  started  off,  leaving 
Miss  Parker  at  the  ranch  with  now  only  the  old 
grandad  for  company. 

Delighted  at  the  prospect  of  a  long  quiet  day  at  let- 
ter writing,  she  made  an  energetic  beginning,  but,  alas, 
for  good  intentions.  Perhaps  she  had  not  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  the  dance  she  had  attended  a  few 
nights  before,  or  it  may  have  been  the  unusual  quiet 
of  the  ranch  coupled  with  the  warmth  of  the  day, 
anyway,  in  a  few  minutes  she  was  fast  asleep. 

And  while  she  slept  on  undisturbed  in  the  cool  shade 
of  the  trees,  lulled  by  the  gentle  breeze  which  fanned 
h^r  cheeks,  three  dusty,  tired  cowboys  cheerfully  rode 
four  or  five  miles  out  of  their  way  through  the  broil- 
ling  hot  sun,  just  to  pass  the  ranch  and  give  her  greet- 
ing. 

The  Alton  Ranch  had  always  been  a  favorite  stop- 
ping place,  but  since  Miss  Parker's  arrival  it  had  be- 
come more  popular  than  ever.  The  cowboys  seemed 
to  think  that  no  matter  where  they  were  going  the 
nearest  way  was  by  the  Alton  Ranch,  and  Ned  said 
that  "if  all  the  stray  cattle  and  horses  that  were 
searched  for  in  that  vicinity  had  been  there  they  would 
have  stampeded  some  night  and  tore  down  the  whole 
dang  place." 

It  became  such  a  joke  that,  after  a  time,  they  would 
ask  every  cowboy  that  came  along  if  he  was  hunting 
strays.  Most  of  them  were  too  bashful  to  do  more 
than  gaze  from  afar,  and  stammer  "Yes,  ma'am,"  and 
"No  ma'am,"  if  addressed  by  Miss  Parker,  but  this  was 
not  true  of  Steve,  who  paid  open  court  to  the  lady, 
and  made  frequent  tr^)s  to  the  Alton  Ranch,  happening 
along  at  anj  time, 

12S 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

And  so  it  was  to-day.  He  rode  up,  accompanied  by 
Ira  and  Billie,  and  so  deep  were  Miss  Parker^s 
slumbers  that  the  noise  made  by  the  three  horsemen 
galloping  up  to  the  ranch  did  not  awaken  her. 

They  dismounted,  threw  the  rein  over  their  horses* 
heads  and  entered  the  gate.  Spying  Miss  Parker 
lying  in  the  hammock  asleep  they  mischievously  stole 
up  and  quietly  seated  themselves  tailor  fashion  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  her. 

She  made  a  beautiful  picture  as  she  reclined  among 
the  cushions,  her  cheeks  flushed  by  sleep,  and  whisps 
of  black  hair  blown  about  by  the  wind.  One  slender, 
white  arm,  from  off  which  the  loose  sleeve  had  fallen, 
was  bent  up  over  her  head,  partially  shielding  her  eyes 
from  the  light.  Behind  her  was  a  thick  hedge  of  tame 
current  bushes,  laden  with  scarlet  fruit,  and  formed 
a  suitable  background  for  the  girl's  rich  coloring. 

The  whole  made  a  scene  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
bare  and  treeless  plains  over  which  they  had  come,  al- 
ready being  turned  brown  by  the  unusual  heat  and 
drouth.  So  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  fixed  gaze  of 
three  pair  of  fascinated  eyes  soon  aroused  her,  and 
with  a  startled  exclamation  she  sat  up,  scattering 
papers  and  letters  in  every  direction. 

Steve,  fearing  that  she  might  be  offended  at  their 
seeming  familiarity,  very  respectfully  apologized,  say- 
ing in  extenuation :  "You  made  such  a  pretty  picture 
that  we  did  not  like  to  wake  you,  for  fear  you  might 
be  a  vision  and  disappear." 

"Well,  if  that  is  the  case,"  answered  she,  "I  sup- 
pose I  shall  have  to  forgive  you,  but  since  I  am  really 
flesh  and  blood  as  you  see,  will  you  please  pick  up  my 
letters,  which  the  wind  is  trying  to  carry  out  on  the 
prairie  to  amuse  the  coyotes?" 

They  all  began  collecting  the  scattered  letters,  and 
Steve  after  chasing  one  elusive  missive  about  the  yard, 

126 


MISS  PAEKER  MAKES  A  PIE 

was  rewarded  for  his  trouble  by  seeing  at  the  bottom, 
the  closing  salutation  of,  "Lovingly  yours,  Jack." 

"Loving  yours,  Jack,"  mused  he,  as  he  returned 
it  to  her.  "Who  is  Jack,  and  what  class  is  he  in?  Is 
he  one  of  the  'Also  ran,'  the  'Has  beens'  or  "Go in' 
to  be'?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Miss  Parker,  laughing. 
"I  have  not  classified  him  as  yet.  What  one  should 
you  suggest?" 

"Well,  I  don't  know  what  one  he's  in  now,  but  I 
know  where  he's  goin'  to  be.  I'm  never  goin'  to  stop 
until  him  and  all  the  rest  are  in  the  discard,  and  me 
on  the  winnin'  side,  well  past  the  judge's  stand  when 
the  rope  falls." 

"Indeed,"  mused  Miss  Parker.  "Methinks  I  have 
heard  those  words  before,  or  something  to  that  effect, 
spoken  quite  as  confidently  as  you  have  uttered  them. 
But  as  Utah  only  allows  to  men  the  privilege  of  more 
than  one  spouse,  I  do  not  see  how  they  are  all  going 
to  win  do  you?  Unless  I  should  found  a  new  Sect 
giving  women  the  same  prerogatives  the  Mormons 
enjoy. 

"I  have  often  thought  it  might  not  be  a  bad  plan, 
as  most  of  the  married  men  I  know  are  so  engrossed  in 
making  money  that  they  have  no  time  for  companion- 
ship with  their  wives,  who  are  forced  to  sit  alone  of 
evenings  and  amuse  themselves  during  the  day  by 
spending  money,  attending  woman's  clubs  or  going  to 
the  matinee,  with  never  a  man  on  the  horizon  any- 
where. 

"So,  instead  of  allowing  a  man  more  than  one  wife, 
the  women  should  be  allowed  two  husbands.  One  to 
support  her,  and  the  other  to  amuse  her." 

"Well,  that  might  be  necessary  in  the  cities,"  ob- 
jected Steve.  "But  out  here  the  women  amuse  them- 
selves by  lookin'  after  the  house  and  children,  and 

127 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

whenever  there  is  anything  goin'  on,  they  all  go  to- 
getlier." 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Billie.  "But  you  have  neglected 
to  mention  one  of  the  ways  the  women  out  here  have 
of  amusin*  themselves,  and  that  is  'cookin'." 

"Tryin'  to  follow  all  this  lofty  conversation  between 
you  two  is  awful  fatiguin'  and  I  don't  believe  I'll  be 
able  to  stand  much  more  of  it  without  something  to  eat 
anyway.  Of  course,  I  ain't  hintin',  but  did  any  of  you 
ever  eat  a  currant  pie?  I've  looked  at  them  currants 
until  I  can  just  tell  what  a  currant  pie'd  taste  like." 

"I'm  bettin'  that  Miss  Parker  can  make  the  best  cur- 
ront  pie  you  ever  eat,"  said  Ira. 

"You  must  have  a  good  imagination,  Ira,  if  you  can 
tell  what  a  pie  I  made  would  taste  like.  The  only 
pies  I  ever  made  were  composed  of  a  judicious  mixture 
of  clay  and  water  and  baked  in  the  sun." 

"I  am  like  the  man  from  Missouri,"  said  Steve,  "and 
will  have  to  be  shown.  Come  on,  boys,  let's  get  some 
buckets  and  pick  some." 

At  this  Miss  Parker  was  in  a  quandary,  and  going 
in  the  house  appealed  to  the  old  man. 

"Grandad,  what  must  I  do?  Here  are  all  these 
hungry  men  clamoring  for  pie,  and  I  don't  know  how 
to  make  one." 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Mr.  Alton.  "Maybe  you 
can  find  out  from  the  cook  book.  There  ought  to  be 
one  around  somewhere.  You  surely  will  have  to  try, 
as  all  the  women  out  here  can  make  pies,  and  these 
boys  naturally  think  you  ought  to  make  better  pies  than 
anvbody  else,  judgin'  by  the  way  you  do  other  things. 

'They  won't  hardly  understand  you  not  bein'  able  to 
make  pies.  I  surely  think  every  girl  ought  to  number 
pie  makin'  among  her  accomplishments,  for  when  the 
courtin*  days  is  over,  and  the  minister  is  done  sayin' 
his  little  speech,  the  hone)mioon  lasts  longer  if  the  girl 

X28 


MISS  PARKER  MAKES  A  PIE 

knows  how  to  make  her  home  and  husband  comfort- 
able. And  that  is  true,  be  they  rich  or  poor.  I  heard 
what  you  said  about  foundin'  a  new  sect  for  women. 
Maybe  them  women  you  know  wouldn't  have  to  spend 
so  much  time  alone  if  they  knew  more  about  makin' 
a  home,  and  that  don't  mean  that  they  all  would  need 
to  cook  or  wash  dishes  either.  But  a  little  knowledge 
of  that  wouldn't  hurt  any  of  them,''  And  with  that 
he  tottered  out  to  the  kitchen  behind  Miss  Parker 
to  see  the  fim,  just  as  the  boys  came  in  with  a  bucket- 
ful of  berries. 

'*Well,  if  you  men  will  promise  to  eat  what  I  make, 
111  try  and  concoct  a  pie.  It  cannot  taste  very  badly 
made  out  of  these  lovely  currants." 

"Let  me  see,"  pondered  she,  "I  am  always  reading 
Mrs.  Rose's  Household  Hints  in  the  Woman's  Home 
Companion,  but  all  I  can  remember  about  making  pie 
crust  is  that  you  put  in  lots  of  lard,  a  little  water,  and 
do  not  knead  it  very  much,  and  then  roll  it  out  on  a 
marble  slab.  That  settles  it.  I  can  not  make  it  as  we 
have  no  marble  slab  on  which  to  roll  it  out" 

"Oh,  roll  it  out  on  the  table,  or  on  the  floor.  We 
don't  care,"  said  Ira, 

"Marble  slab,"  said  Steve,  "Now  where  did  I  see 
a  marble  slab  ?" 

"The  only  one  I  ever  saw  in  this  cotmtry,"  said 
Billie,  "is  a  flat  stone  at  the  head  of  a  grave  inside  that 
little  picket  fence  at  Johnnie  Rice's  place,  where  we 
planted  that  fellow  we  foimd  frozen  to  death  in  your 
claim  shack  two  or  three  years  ago." 

"You  go  ahead  and  mix  the  dough,"  chuckled 
Steve,  "and  I'll  furnish  the  slab." 

"Now,  where  has  he  gone?"  inquired  Miss  Parker. 
"To  get  the  headstone.**" 

"I  dont'  know,"  said  Billie.  **Stevc  is  tssually  equal 
to  any  emergency." 

129 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Well,  I  guess  if  you  said  you  wanted  it,  some  of 
'em  would  get  it  for  you,"  observed  Grandad.  "So  far 
you  have  a  sample  of  about  everything  the  plains  pro- 
duce. Rattlesnake  skins,  horn  toads,  magpies,  Indian 
arrows,  an'  I  don't  know  what  all.  You  only  need  a 
tombstone  to  complete  the  Ust.  The  other  day  while 
you  was  gone  that  crazy  Flint  rode  up,  half  leadin'  and 
half  draggin'  a  live  coyote  by  his  lariat,  v/hich  he  said 
he  was  bringin'  to  you,  I  told  him  to  shoot  the  dumbed 
thing.  I  ain't  a  goin'  to  have  it  around  here  eatin* 
up  sdl  the  chickens  and  snappin'  at  everybody. 

"I  don't  mind  tumin'  the  place  into  a  museum  as 
long  as  they  bring  harmless  sort  of  things,  but  I  draw 
the  line  at  live  coyotes  and  rattlesnakes." 

There  was  a  sotmd  in  the  next  room  of  somethuig 
falling  and  a  loud  crash,  but  before  they  could  go  to 
see  what  had  happened,  Steve  came  out  carrying  the 
marble  top  of  an  old  walnut  dresser. 

"Well,  I'll  be  dumbed,"  exclaimed  Grandad.  "Did 
you  break  that  dresser?    Fve  had  that  for  forty  years." 

"No,  I  just  knocked  the  lamp  off  and  broke  the 
chimney." 

"Come  on.  Miss  Parker,"  called  Billie.  **Here's  your 
marble  slab,  so  you've  no  excuse  now." 

"Go  ahead,"  encouraged  Ira.  "And  well  all  help. 
Here,  Billie,  you  get  some  flour.  I'll  get  the  lard,  and 
Steve  you  get  the  sugar," 

"All  right,"  assented  Steve,  '*Where  do  they  keep 
the  sugar.  Grandad?" 

"I  don't  know.  They  ought  to  be  some  up  here,  but 
if  they  ain't,  the/s  a  sack  down  cellar,"  answered  the 
old  man. 

Finally  all  the  ingredients  were  collected  and  they  all 
sat  around  to  watch  Miss  Parker  make  the  pie,  and 
that  was  enough  to  embarrass  even  an  experienced 

130 


MISS  PAEKER  MAKES  A  PIE 

cook.  The  old  man  seeing  her  confiision  came  to  the 
rescue  by  saying: 

"Ain't  you  fellows  goin'  to  have  anything  but  pie  for 
dinner?  While  Miss  Parker  is  makin*  it,  you  had 
better  get  some  meat  and  peel  some  potatoes." 

Miss  Parker  was  naturally  deft  with  her  hands,  and 
the  long  slender  fingers  that  wielded  the  brush  and 
pencil  so  cleverly  were  equally  as  deft  as  she  kneaded 
the  dough,  covered  the  pan,  and  at  last  daintily  pinched 
the  edges  together,  the  way  she  had  seen  Aunt  Ma- 
thilda, their  old  colored  cook,  finish  oflF  her  pies. 

When  she  had  put  in  the  berries  she  started  to  pour 
in  the  whole  cup  of  sugar,  when  Steve  stopped  her 
with  a  laugh. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  inquired  she, 

"Ain't  you  puttin'  in  too  much  sugar?** 

"I  do  not  know.  It  must  take  a  lot  I  read  once 
that  the  way  to  make  gooseberry  pie  was  to  put  in 
sugar  as  long  as  your  conscience  w^ould  allow  you,  and 
then  shut  your  eyes  and  throw  it  in  with  both  hands 
as  fast  as  you  could.  And  I  believe  that  currants  have 
even  more  acid  than  gooseberries." 

"Well,  just  put  in  a  little,  and  if  it  not  sweet  enough 
we  can  put  in  more.  It  won't  take  so  much  if  you  make 
the  pie,  you  know,**  suggested  Billic. 

At  last  the  pie  was  ready.  Billie  had  the  potatoes 
on  cooking;  Ira  cut  the  meat,  and  Steve  made  the 
coflFee.  They  all  imited  and  set  the  table,  and  helped 
take  up  the  dinner.  The  pie  was  set  out  to  cool,  while 
they  ate,  and  when  they  were  ready  Miss  Parker 
hunted  up  some  plates  to  put  it  on,  and  soon  everybody 
was  served. 

Steve  put  rather  a  generous  piece  in  his  mouth,  and 
then  loolang  around  rather  startled,  swallowed  it  at  one 
gulp,  and  hastily  took  a  drink  of  water.  Then  he  quiz- 
ically  watched  Ira  and  Billie  while  they  ate  some  of 

131 


STEVE  OF  THE  "~  G"  RANCH 

theirs.  They  each  took  a  bite,  swallowed  quickly,  and 
then  looked  at  Steve,  waiting  until  Miss  Parker  should 
take  a  piece  of  hers,  and  when  she  had,  there  was  a 
general  explosion.  Steve  had  made  a  mistake  when 
he  went  after  the  sugar  and  dipped  into  the  salt  sack. 


tm 


EX 

COYOTE  CHASE 

After  dinner  was  over,  Ira  and  Billie  reluctantly 
took  their  departure,  and  Steve  suggested  to  Miss 
Parker  that  they  take  the  dogs  and  go  for  a  coyote 
chase.  To  this  she  readily  consented  as  so  far  they 
had  not  been  able  to  find  a  coyote  on  any  of  their  trips. 
At  night  their  nervous  yapping  kept  her  awake,  but  by 
day  they  kept  out  of  sight  through  respect  for  the 
pack  of  hounds,  whom  they  had  learned  to  fear. 

While  Steve  was  saddling  a  horse  for  her  to  ride,  she 
went  in  and  put  on  her  riding  habit  and  boots,  and 
calling  the  dogs  they  were  soon  on  their  way.  The 
pack  consisted  of  seven  black  and  white-spotted  gray 
hounds.  Only  four  of  them  came  in  answer  to  their 
repeated  calls,  and  these  were  old  Nick  and  Bettie  and 
their  two  sprightly  offsprings  who  were  now  old 
enough  to  be  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  chase, 
but  were  too  yoimg  to  be  of  much  assistance  in  killing 
a  coyote. 

One  or  the  other  of  them  was  constantly  breaking 
away  from  the  pack  to  chase  a  prairie  dog,  which 
wotdd  entice  them  on  by  sitting  on  the  edge  of  its  den 
and  emitting  its  saucy  little  weau,  weau,  weau,  each 
time  jerking  down  its  flat,  stubby  tail  like  a  toy  dog. 
When  the  pup  was  jtist  upon  it,  with  one  tantalizing^ 
squeak  it  would  dude  into  the  hole, 

133 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'*  RANCH 

Every  now  and  then  as  they  rode  along  they  would 
come  across  a  clumsy,  ungainly  horn  toad,  which  in- 
creased its  awkward  gait  as  it  hurried  out  of  the  way. 
While  the  little  sand  lizards,  trusting  in  their  extra 
swiftness,  would  scurry  along  ahead  of  the  horses  for 
a  space,  and  then  as  if  giving  up  the  race,  would  scram- 
ble up  the  sides  of  the  path,  often  just  in  time  to  avoid 
being  stepped  upon. 

"Mercy!'*  exclaimed  Miss  Parker.  **To  look  at  the 
plains,  one  would  think  them  as  barren  of  life  as  they 
are  of  vegetation,  but  everywhere  one  finds  creeping, 
crawling  things,  all  of  the  same  yellow,  brownish  tint 
of  the  grass  and  earth.  My  horse  nearly  stepped  on 
that  little  wiggly  thing  just  now,  and  look  there! 
What  is  the  matter  with  that  bird  i^' 

"Well,  I  call  that  grit,"  said  Steve,  "See  that  rattler 
slidin'  off  there.  It's  been  after  her  nest,  and  she  has  i 
been  tryin'  to  drive  it  away." 

"Hold  your  horse.  I  am  goin'  to  shoot  it,"  saying 
which  he  whipped  out  his  revolver,  there  was  a  quick 
report,  and  a  spat  of  dust  which  the  bullet  kicked  up 
as  it  went  into  the  ground,  after  passing  through  the 
snake  about  half  way  down  its  sinuous  length.  An- 
other shot  tore  its  head  to  pieces. 

"How  can  you  hit  things  like  that.*^  You  don't  seem 
to  take  any  aim." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,"  answered  Steve,  somewhat  em- 
barrassed. "I  guess  it  is  a  good  deal  like  playin' 
ball.  Your  eye  follows  the  ball,  and  your  hands  take 
the  right  position  to  catch  it" 

"I  believe  the  bird  is  hurt  See  how  she  flutters 
along." 

"I  guess  she  is  just  playin'  off,  trying  to  draw  our 
attention  away  from  her  nest  which  ought  to  be  some- 
where near. 

"Yes,  there  it  is  behind  that  littk  weed,  with  four 
XS4 


COYOTE  CHASE 

young  ones  in  it  Ain't  they  ugly  little  things  with 
their  mouths  spread  open  like  that?  They  don't  look 
dike  they  was  worth  makin'  such  a  fuss  over,  do  they?" 

"No,"  answered  Miss  Parker,  laughing.  "But  I 
have  seen  people  who  were  just  as  foolish. 

"I  remember  one  time  when  I  was  a  little  girl  going 
with  some  other  children  to  view  a  new  baby.  The 
'  proud  young  mother  was  holding  it  on  her  lap,  and  we 
all  gathered  around  her.  The  other  children  with  much 
tact  immediately  began  exclaiming  about  how  pretty 
and  sweet  it  was.  It  had  an  unusually  thick  head  of 
dark  hair  for  a  young  baby,  and  as  it  lay  there  wav- 
ing its  tiny  hands  and  puckering  up  its  little  red  face, 
it  reminded  me  of  the  monkey  belonging  to  the  old 
organ  grinder  who  used  to  pass  our  house  every  day. 

"The  baby's  father  was  standing  near,  and  seeing 
that  I  did  not  seem  as  enthusiastic  as  the  others,  very 
foolishly  asked  me  if  I  didn't  think  it  was  pretty,  and 
I  bluntly  answered  *No.' 

"I  never  shall  forget  his  snort  of  contempt,  and  his 
remark  that  'the  little  fool  didn't  know  a  pretty  baby 
when  she  saw  one,'  The  other  children  looked  at  me 
with  horror.  I  resolved  that  I  would  never  make  that 
mistake  again.  So  the  next  time  I  happened  to  be 
where  there  was  a  little  baby,  and  was  invited  up  to  its 
crib  to  see  it,  although  it  was  screeching  at  the  top 
of  its  lungs,  I  mustered  up  what  enthusiasm  I  could, 
and  said :  Tt  is  very  pretty.' 

"Its  parents  seemed  to  have  a  sense  of  humor,  and 
shouted  with  laughter  at  my  saying  the  baby  was 
pretty  when  it  was  crying." 

"I  should  have  thought  you  would  have  been  rather 
discouraged  after  that,"  said  Steve,  chuckling. 

They  had  been  riding  up  a  gentle  slope,  and  just 
then  reached  the  top,  which  was  the  highest  point  for 
miles  around  and  gave  a  commanding  view  of  the 

135 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

whole  surrounding  country.  All  about  spread  the 
prairie,  cut  here  and  there  by  gulches,  which  converted 
its  surface  into  rolling  undulating  mounds  or  hills, 
while  to  the  west,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
stretched  the  purple,  snow-capped  mountains,  stand- 
ing stiff  against  the  sky.  The  tallest  peaks  piercing  the 
clouds  and  glistening  in  the  sun  above  them. 

Miss  Parker  stopped  her  horse,  and  turning  slowly, 
let  her  gaze  travel  from  one  far  horizon  to  another, 
and  then  back  over  the  vastness  that  intervened.  There 
was  nothing  to  mar  the  view.  Here  and  there  a  gray 
speck  marked  the  site  of  some  ranch,  and  tucked 
away  in  the  valleys  where  the  creeks  ran,  were  patches 
of  dark  green  meadow  lands,  but  for  the  most  part 
there  was  nothing  but  the  bare,  brown  prairie,  sweep- 
ing on  and  on,  ever  coaxing  the  eye  to  greater  reaches 
of  vision.  A  light  wind  was  blowing  from  the  west, 
coming  fresh  and  resonant  from  the  snow  and  pines 
of  the  mountains. 

!  Miss  Parker  drew  a  long  breath  of  the  pure,  cool 
air,  and  exclaimed : 

**Oh !  I  love  this  country. 

*T  do  not  believe  that  you  people  who  have  grown 
up  in  the  midst  of  these  rolling  prairies  and  in  sight 
of  those  majestic  mountains  can  imagine  what  im- 
pression they  make  on  a  person  who  has  lived  in  a 
crowded  city  like  New  York. 

'T  believe  there  are  thousands  of  people  who  live 
and  die  there,  without  ever  seeing  a  sunrise  or  sunset. 
For  all  they  see  of  the  sun  or  moon,  their  days  and 
nights,  might  be  caused  by  turning  on  or  off  of  the 
electric  lights. 

"In  the  suburbs  it  is  not  so  bad.  There  they  have 
nice  shady  streets  and  green  lawns,  but  in  the  city 
proper   there   are    nothing   but    nanx)w,    tunnel-like 

136 


COYOTE  CHASE 

streets,  walled  on  either  side  by  hideous  brownstone 
houses.     Each  just  like  the  other. 

"The  atmosphere  is  laden  with  moisture  collected 
from  the  sea  and  rivers,  which  in  winter  bites  and 
stings  the  hands  and  fao*  like  taking  a  plunge  into 
ice-cold  water.  But  it  is  even  worse  in  summer.  Then 
it  becomes  a  suffocating  blanket  through  which  the 
people  gasp  and  struggle  for  breath. 

"I  am  afraid  this  trip  has  spoiled  me,  and  I  will  be 
like  a  bird  in  a  cage,  pining  for  the  freedom  of  which 
I  have  had  a  glimpse," 

"Well,  I  sure  feel  a  heap  encouraged  since  hearin' 
that  speech.  With  the  country  standin'  ace  high,  I 
ought  to  win  in  a  walk,  without  your  goin*  to  Utah  and 
foundin'  that  new  Sect  for  females  you  was  talkin* 
about  to-day." 

"Dear  me,  have  you  been  discouraged?"  said  she  in 
a  mocking  tone.    "I  hadn't  observed  it." 

"Oh,  there  have  been  times  when  I  have  been  a 
little  anxious,  but  I  don't  worry  much  since  Reggie 
went  back.  While  he  was  here  I  used  to  lay  awake 
nights  takin*  inventories  of  myself  and  personal  as- 
sets, and  stackin'  them  up  against  Reggie  and  his  mil- 
lions, and  I  couldn't  help  admittin'  to  myself  that  any 
right-minded  girl  ought  to  take  the  millions,  even  if 
Reggie  was  a  heavy  encumbrance,  but  I  kept  hopin* 
all  the  time  that  you  wouldn't." 

"And  now  since  he  has  gone,  you  have  no  more 
anxiety,  I  suppose,"  said  she  a  little  nettled  at  his 
assurance. 

"I  guess  I  have  enough  discomfort  to  please  you  if 
you  knew  all  about  it.  Most  girls  can  cause  a  man 
that,  even  'if,  there  ain't  much  competition.  They'll 
keep  'em  fiti  the  anxious  seat  just  the  same." 

"And  wise  is  the  maiden  who  prolongs  their  agony 
as  long  as  possih)' ,  for  when  a  man  has  won  a  for- 

137 


STEA^E  OP  THE  '^—  G''  RANCH 

tune,  he  spends  much  time  and  thought  in  an  effort 
to  keep  it,  but  when  he  has  won  a  woman  he  considers 
the  matter  settled  for  Ufe.  To  him  courting  is  hke 
reading  an  interesting  book,  both  are  all  absorbing 
until  finished;  while  to  a  woman,  loving  words  are 
always  the  greatest  treasures  of  her  heart.  Moral — A 
girl  should  never  marry  while  yet  young  enough  to  be 
w^ooed."  And  with  a  laughing  challenge  at  Steve  she 
set  her  horse  into  a  gallop  and  rode  at  a  breakneck 
pace  down  the  hill.  The  dogs  with  their  long,  easy 
lope  keeping  alongside  the  horses,  and  as  they  looked 
up  at  her  their  open  mouths  and  lolling  tongues  gave 
the  impression  that  they  were  joining  in  her  mirth. 

Just  as  she  was  about  to  call  Steve's  attention  to 
it,  Nick  and  Bettie  pricked  up  their  ears,  and  with  a 
significant  look  at  the  pups,  quietly  slipped  around  the 
head  of  a  little  draw,  and  came  full  upon  a  mother 
coyote  and  her  five  little  cubs  chasing  each  other  in 
a  spirited  game  ot  tag. 

The  mother  upon  seeing  the  dogs  gave  an  imperative 
yap  of  command,  and  the  cubs  without  stopping  to  see 
what  had  caused  this  sudden  interruption  in  their  play, 
scuttled  to  safety  in  the  den,  at  the  other  end  of  the 
valley.  All  but  one,  who  had  in  an  attempt  to  elude 
its  playfellow,  made  a  wider  detour  than  usual,  and 
when  the  dogs  appeared  it  was  directly  in  their  path. 

The  mother  seeing  its  peril  and  heedless  of  her  own 
safety,  with  reckless  devotion,  rar  between  them  and 
the  cub.  Her  ruse  was  successful,  as  she  came  so 
idcse  to  old  Nick's  nose  that  he  forgot  all  about  the 
little  one,  and  making  a  quick  turn,  was  right  at  her 
heels ,  Bettie  and  the  two  pups  strung  out  behind,  and 
away  they  went  down  the  guch;  up  the  hill,  circling 
over  the  prairie ;  now  out  of  sight  in  some  gulley,  only 
to  reappear  in  a  few  minutes  on  another  hill. 

It  was  a  splendidly  matched  race,  neither  the  doe 
138  ^ 


COYOTE  CHASE 

nor  the  coyote  seaning  to  gain  on  the  other.  Bcttie 
and  the  pups  by  this  time  were  far  in  the  rear. 

Ordinarily,  old  Nick  would  have  made  short  work 
of  a  coyote  that  had  no  more  of  a  start,  but  this  one 
was  in  imusually  good  condition. 

Long  ago,  she  had  acquired  an  appetite  for  young 
and  tender  veal,  which  other  seasons  could  only  occa- 
sionally be  gratified,  but  this  summer  she  had  feasted 
to  satiation.  Many  a  startled  Jack  and  cottontail  had 
bounded  off  before  her  approach,  only  to  stop  in  sur- 
prised uncertainty  at  her  non-pursuit. 

There  had  been  little  rainfall  that  summer,  so  that 
the  cows  with  their  lusty  offspring  making  incessant 
demands  upon  them  were  forced  to  stray  far  from 
water,  in  order  to  find  good  grazing  places.  Too  far 
for  the  little  calves  to  make  the  trip  during  the  heat 
of  the  day. 

Now  this  wary  old  coyote  knew  this.  When  a  cow 
would  carefully  hide  her  little  one  in  some  hollow,  or 
between  thick  bunches  of  soap  weeds,  and  hurry  away 
to  quench  her  thirst,  the  sneaking  old  marauder,  who 
had  watched  her  departure  from  some  safe  covert, 
would  steal  upon  the  helpless,  sprauling  victim,  make 
a  quick  meal,  and  steal  away  before  the  mother's  re- 
turn. Well  knowing  that  in  her  rage  and  grief  she 
would  wreak  a  swift  vengeance  with  her  long  sharp 
horns. 

But  now  retribution  was  fast  approaching.  In  vain 
did  she  strain  her  exhausted  muscles  in  greater  effort. 
Old  Nick  with  his  long  bounding  leaps  was  gradually 
lessening  the  distance  between  them,  and  at  last 
stretching  himself  in  a  mighty  leap,  he  shot  forward, 
clutched  her  by  the  neck  with  his  sharp  fangs,  and 
with  a  dexterous  twist,  threw  her  over  and  over. 

She  was  quickly  up,  and  turned  at  bay,  ears  flat- 
tened back  and  yellow  eyes  gleaming.    Old  Nick  mak- 

139 


STEVE  OP  THE  "~  G"  RANCH 

ing  feints  of  attack  to  keep  her  interested  until  Bettie 
and  the  pups  came  up,  as  he  well  knew  that  if  he  gave 
battle  without  their  assistance,  it  would  be  very  costly 
to  him,  even  though  he  should  come  off  victorious. 

When  they  arrived,  he,  deftly  evading  her  snapping 
fangs,  made  a  grab  for  her  throat  and  the  pups  get- 
ting as  far  from  the  danger  zone  as  possible,  each  took 
hold  of  a  hind  leg  and  ground  it  between  their  crunch- 
ing jaws. 

The  horses  caught  the  enthusiasm  of  the  chase  and 
Miss  Parker  and  Steve  were  in  at  the  death.  All  the 
pleasure  of  the  chase  now  gave  place  to  pity  for  the 
lifeless  form  which  the  dogs  were  wooling  so  savagely. 
Asking  Steve  to  call  them,  Miss  Parker  was  glad 
to  start  homeward,  vowing  never  again  to  be  a  party 
to  such  a  slaughter. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  ranch,  Steve  after  helping 
Miss  Parker  to  dismount,  said :  "I  do  not  believe  I  will 
go  in  as  I  am  expecting  some  cattle  buyers  to  be  at 
the  ranch  to-morrow  morning,  and  if  Marcia  and  Ned 
urged  me  to  stay,  I  don't  believe  I  would  be  able  to 
tear  myself  away.    It  is  hard  enough  as  it  is." 

"But  it  is  going  to  rain,"  objected  Miss  Parker. 

"Well,  it  has  been  dry  so  long  that  it  would  almost 
have  to  drown  me  before  I'd  complain.  There's  goin' 
to  be  a  dance  at  the  hall  on  our  ranch  Saturday  night, 
and  I'd  like  mighty  well  to  take  you  if  you'd  care  to 

go-" 

"I  will  go  if  Marcia  and  Ned  are  going  also." 
"Well,  they  are  goin'.  They  told  me  the  other  day 
that  they  would  come.  So  I'll  be  after  you."  And 
then  laying  his  arm  upon  his  horse's  neck,  he  leant 
his  head  upon  it,  concealing  for  an  instant,  the  look 
of  love  and  yearning  which  was  expressed  so  openly 
in  his  eyes  and  face.    Then  mounting,  he  resolutely 

UO 


COYOTE  CHASE 

turned  his  horse,  and  galloped  away,  jtist  as  the  long 
promised  rain  began  to  fall. 

"What  became  of  Steve?"  inquired  Ned,  as  Miss 
Parker  entered  the  house. 

"Oh!  He  went  up  in  a  cloud,  or  at  least  it  looked 
that  way.  The  mist  shut  off  my  view,  just  as  he  was 
climbing  that  steep  hill." 


141 


STEVE  SELLS  SOME  CATTLE 

Among  the  buyers  of  cattle  and  horses  that  traveled 
over  the  country  were  a  number  of  Jews.  It  was  an 
occupation  that  appealed  strongly  to  their  ideas  of 
thrift  and  economy,  as  the  isolated  ranchers  were  not 
able  to  keep  up  with  the  changes  in  the  market,  so  there 
was  always  the  chance  of  buying  the  stock  enough 
below  the  price  to  make  quite  a  profit.  Then,  too, 
the  hospitable  Westerners  would  of  course  never  think 
of  charging  them  for  board  or  horse  feed,  so  if  they 
did  not  make  anything,  it  was  costing  them  nothing  to 
live. 

Some  of  them  had  been  buying  over  the  same  terri- 
tory for  years,  and  had  gradually  overcome  much  of 
the  prejudice  with  which  their  race  was  held.  Among 
these  was  one  called  DeDeck,  who  as  he  prospered, 
had  answered  the  agonized  appeal  of  his  persecuted 
relatives  in  Russia  and  had  brought  them  to  America, 
singly  or  in  pairs,  until  all  his  near  relatives  were  here, 
and  after  them  came  the  deluge  of  uncles  and  cousins. 

The  last  to  arrive  was  an  old  weatherbeaten,  scrag- 
gly-whiskered  Jew  and  his  son  Isaac.  The  latter,  with 
the  passion  for  learning  which  all  Jews  seem  to  pos- 
sess, started  at  once  to  night  school,  and  when  he  had 
somewhat  mastered  a  working  know^ledge  of  English 
he  began  looking  about  for  the  quickest  means  of  emas- 

112 


BTEVE  SELLS  SOME  CATTLE 

sing  the  fortune  of  which  he  dreamed  day  and  night. 
When  he  had  by  incredible  economy  and  self-denial 
saved  a  hundred  dollars  he  consulted  DeDeck  as  to 
how  he  should  invest  it. 

"Vy  don'  you  by  catties?"  inquired  DeDeck.  "You 
debosits  you  moneys  mit  de  Commission  House  by 
vitch  I  do  beesiness,  und  ven  you  py  catties  you  gift 
an  order  on  dem,  de  same  as  by  de  bank.  Ven  dey 
see  you  are  a  goot  judge  of  catties  and  make  moneys, 
dey  will  let  you  draw  on  dem  for  a  little  more  den  you 
haff  on  debosit.  You  ought  to  be  a  goot  judge  of 
catties,  you  haff  been  raised  by  de  countries  in  Russia." 

So  in  pursuance  of  this  plan  Isaac  and  his  father 
hunted  up  an  old  second-hand  wagon  and  an  ancient 
horse  and  started  on  their  way.  They  had  been  buying 
for  sometime,  and  it  was  they  whom  Steve  was  ex- 
pecting. 

Early  the  next  morning  after  he  was  at  the  Alton 
Ranch,  old  Rosenbaum  and  Isaac  drove  up,  and  Steve 
went  out  and  rounded  up  some  old  cows  and  beef 
steers,  which  he  had  previously  driven  down  near  the 
ranch  to  have  them  handy  in  case  some  buyer  should 
come  along.  The  old  man  stayed  in  the  wagon  as  he 
was  bent  and  crippled  with  rheumatism,  and  sent  his 
son  Isaac  to  do  the  dickering. 

Isaac  climbed  down  out  of  the  wagon  and  ran  around 
among  the  cattle  to  look  them  over,  and  they,  unused 
to  seeing  a  man  on  foot,  watched  him  with  round  eyes, 
and  now  and  then  one  of  them  would  shake  its  head. 

"Vat  you  wants  for  dose  catties,  Shteve?"  inquired 
Isaac. 

"I'll  take  $22  a  head  for  the  she  stuff,  and  $32  a 
head  for  the  steers,"  answered  Steve. 

"Oy!  oy!  dot  is  too  mooch.  I  giff  you  ninedeen 
toUars  for  de  she  stoof,  and  eight  imd  twendy  tollars 
for  de  shteers." 

143 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"No,  I  can't  do  it,"  objected  Steve.  "The  price  I 
made  you  is  the  best  I  can  do." 

"Oy!  oy!  But  the  cows,  dey  are  old,  und  make 
to  die  by  de  time  dey  go  to  de  stock  yards,  un  de 
shteers,  dey  are  youst  so  thin  as  never  vas.  1  pay 
you  ninedeen  tollars  for  de  cows,  und  eight  und 
twendy  for  de  shteers,  und  take  dem  right  now," 
coaxed  Isaac. 

"No,  I  won't  do  it.  The  price  I  made  you  is  the 
lowest  I  will  take,"  said  Steve,  and  galloped  off  to 
bunch  up  the  cattle  again  as  they  had  begun  to  stray. 

Isaac  caught  hold  of  his  stirrup,  and  ran  along 
beside  the  horse,  saying:  "I  giff  you  ninedeen-fifty 
for  de  cows,  and  twendy-eight  und  fiefty  for  de 
shteers." 

"You  will  have  to  go  a  little  higher  than  that,"  an- 
swered Steve,  chuckling  as  he  rode  a  little  faster,  the 
nimble  Isaac  still  sprinting  along  at  his  stirrup.  Just 
then  old  Rosenbaum  called  Isaac,  and  after  consulting 
for  awhile,  the  latter  ran  across  to  head  Steve  off,  but 
Steve  saw  him  coming  and  turned  his  horse  and  gal- 
loped in  the  other  direction.  Isaac  darted  about  among 
the  cattle  trying  to  catch  him,  but  as  soon  as  he  would 
get  near,  Steve  would  pretend  to  see  a  cow  or  steer 
about  to  get  away,  and  whirl  his  horse  and  ride  off  to 
head  it 

The  perspiration  was  streaming  down  Isaac's  face, 
and  his  breath  was  coming  in  gasps,  but  with  the  per- 
sistance  of  his  race  in  search  of  a  bargain,  he  played 
tag  with  Steve  around  among  the  cattle,  and  whenever 
he  was  near  enough,  would  shout  some  offer,  such  as : 

"You  cut  out  de  old  black  und  white  cow,  xmd  de 
brindle  shteer  und  I  giff  you  more." 

At  last  some  of  the  cows  began  to  get  restless,  and 
several  times  when  Isaac  had  started  in  front  of  an 
old  cow,  she  had  tossed  her  head  rather  threateningly. 

144 


STEVE  SELLS  SOME  CATTLE 

Steve  saw  it,  and  called  to  him  to  be  careful,  but  the 
Jew  was  too  intent  on  his  trade. 

Finally  the  old  red  cow  began  to  paw  the  ground, 
and  the  next  time  Isaac  came  near  she  made  for  him, 
and  at  last  awake  to  his  danger,  he  sprinted  toward 
old  Rosenbaum  and  the  wagon,  who  shouted: 

"Make  yourself  for  to  hurry,  Isaac/' 

But  Isaac  did  not  need  any  suggestions  on  speed.  He 
was  doing  the  best  he  knew,  and  was  giving  the  old 
cow  a  good  race.  Steve  was  rocking  in  his  saddle 
with  laughter,  but  at  the  same  time  getting  his  rope 
ready  to  interfere  in  case  he  saw  the  cow  was  going 
to  overtake  the  Jew,  who  the  farther  he  ran,  the  faster 
he  semed  to  go,  with  the  cow  right  at  his  heels,  neck 
bowed,  trying  to  gore  the  tails  of  his  old,  rusty  frock 
coat,  which  were  sticking  straight  out  behind  him. 

With  a  final  burst  of  speed  he  w^as  about  to  make 
the  wagon,  when  he  stubbed  his  toe  and  fell;  the  old 
cow  made  a  dive  for  him,  Steve  whirled  the  rope,  and 
caught  her  round  the  horns.  The  trained  cow  pony 
settled  back  on  his  haunches,  and  the  cow's  head  came 
up  with  a  jerk,  one  horn  thrust  neatly  through  the  seat 
of  Isaac's  pants,  and  there  he  hung  suspended.  Steve 
was  laughing  so  that  he  could  not  do  anything,  but 
Isaac's  trousers  had  seen  much  service,  and  the  fabric 
was  old  and  rotten.  Gradually  the  rent  made  by  the 
cow's  horn  began  to  widen,  and  at  last  ripped  clear 
through;  Isaac  fell  to  the  ground,  and  scrambled  into 
the  wagon. 

Old  Rosenbaum  whipped  up  his  horse  and  drove  to 
the  house,  but  by  the  time  Steve  arrived,  Isaac  had 
recovered  some  of  his  assurance  and  when  Steve  dis- 
mounted, he  ran  to  him  and  falling  upon  his  knees, 
hugged  Steve  around  the  legs,  saying: 

"You  goot  poy ;  you  save  my  life ;  I  giff  you  twendy 
tollars  for  de  cows,  und  dirty  tollarg  for  de  shteers." 

145 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Well,  you  are  grateful,"  exclaimed  Steve.  "I  did 
not  suppose  anything  would  make  a  Sheeney  loosen 
up  that  much.    But  you'll  have  to  do  better  than  that." 

The  Jews  stayed  around  all  day,  and  at  last  late  in 
the  afternoon  they  became  discouraged  and  left.  The 
next  morning  Steve  was  out  riding  and  passed  the 
Knox  Ranch  about  ten  miles  east  of  " — G"  Ranch.  Ed 
Knox  came  out  and  inquired : 

"Have  you  seen  old  Rosenbaum  this  morning?  He 
just  left  here  awhile  ago,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  him  he 
was  hittin'  the  high  places  for  your  place.  He  came 
over  here  last  night  and  looked  at  our  cattle,  and  hag- 
gled around  trying  to  jew  us  down.  Finally  I  got  tired 
and  gave  him  a  good  cussin',  and  told  him  I  wouldn't 
sell  them  to  him  at  any  price,  as  Broadhurst  was  com- 
ing out  in  a  few  days  to  buy  your  cattle  and  mine  too. 
So  he  became  excited  and  said  he  was  goin'  over  to 
buy  your  cattle  before  the  other  man  arrived." 

"Did  they  tell  you  about  the  cow  chasin'  Isaac?" 
inquired  Steve. 

"No,  did  she  get  him  ?"  inquired  Ed,  delightedly. 

"No,  but  she  caught  his  pants.  Didn't  you  see  how 
she  tore  them  ?" 

"Yes,  I  saw  something  was  the  matter.  He  bor- 
rowed a  needle  and  thread  to  sew  them  up.  Said  he 
caught  them  on  a  fence." 

At  this  Steve  chuckled  joyously,  and  said: 

"I  shore  never  saw  anything  to  equal  that  Sheeney 
for  runnin*.  I  believe  if  he'd  had  a  half  mile  to  go, 
that  old  cow  wouldn't  a  been  able  to  see  him  for  dust. 
And  then  when  she  lifted  him  up  with  one  horn 
through  the  seat  of  his  pants,  an'  his  arms  and  legs 
wavin'  in  the  breeze  I  thought  I'd  die  laughin'.  Them 
pants  was  built  for  a  man  that  weighed  about  two  hun- 
dred and  had  a  big  bay  window,  and  when  the  old  cow 
caught  up  the  slack  in  the  seat,  Isaac's  legs  shot  out 

146 


STEVE  SELLS  SOME  CATTLE 

at  the  bottom,  lookin'  like  pipestems.  It  certainly  was 
funny."  And  laughing  at  the  remembrance,  Steve 
turned  his  horse  and  remarked: 

"Well,  I  guess  Td  better  hit  the  trail,  if  I  want  to 
catch  Rosenbaum  at  the  ranch.  Think  TU  just  raise 
the  price  of  them  cattle  one  dollar  a  head.     So  long." 

In  the  meantime  the  two  Jews  had  returned  to  the 
*' — G"  and  Blackie  came  out  to  see  them. 

"Where's  Shteeve?"  inquired  Isaac. 

"Oh,  he's  off  ridin'  somewhere,"  answered  Blackie. 
"What  do  you  want?" 

"Ve  vants  to  get  de  cows  und  de  shteers  ve  bought 
yesterday." 

"He  didn't  say  anything  to  me  about  selling  you  any 
cattle.    How  much  did  you  pay  for  them  ?" 

"Twendy  toUars  a  head  for  de  she  stoof,  und  dirty 
tollars  for  de  shteers." 

"Are  you  sure  you  bought  them  for  that?"  asked 
Blackie.  "I  heard  him  refuse  to  sell  them  for  that 
the  other  day." 

"Oy !  oy !  sure.  Ve  puy  dem  for  dot.  Coom  inside 
de  house  and  ve  pay  you  de  moneys  und  you  giff  us 
a  bill  of  sale,  und  ve  vill  shtart  right  avay." 

"I  guess  you  will  have  to  w^ait  until  Steve  comes." 

"Oy !  ve  puy  dem  all  right.  Ve  vant  to  get  to  Den- 
ver to-day.  You  let  us  haff  dem.  Shteeve  he  let  us 
haif  dem  for  twendy  tollars,  but  ve  giff  you  twendy-one 
for  de  cows,  und  dirty-one  for  de  shteers,  if  you  let  us 
haff  dem  right  avay." 

"Humph,  raisin'  your  own  price.  Now  I  know  you 
never  bought  them,  for  if  you  had  you  would  hang 
around  here  for  a  week  rather  than  pay  any  more." 

Just  then  Steve  rode  up,  and  the  Jews  nothing 
abashed  at  being  caught,  went  up  to  him  and  tried  to 
bluff  him  into  letting  them  have  the  cattle  at  that 
price, 

U7 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"You  sure  have  the  nerve,"  angrily  exclaimed  Steve, 
"But  you  might  as  well  not  waste  your  time.  I  didn't 
sell  you  the  cattle  at  that  price,  and  what's  more  you 
can't  buy  them  to-day  at  the  price  I  offered  them  to 
you  for  yesterday.  I  want  a  dollar  more  per  head, 
and  if  you  don't  want  them  at  that  price,  you  do  not 
need  to  take  them  for  I  just  received  word  that  Broad- 
hurst  is  coming  out,  and  I  would  rather  sell  them  to 
him  anyway." 

At  this  the  Jews  became  very  anxious,  and  as  Steve 
acted  more  and  more  indifferent,  they  agreed  to  take 
them,  and  wrote  out  an  order  on  the  Brockwell  Com- 
mission Company  in  Denver  for  the  money.  Steve 
helped  them  drive  the  cattle  to  the  station  and  load 
them  in  the  cars.  The  freight  train  was  supposed  to 
leave  at  4  P.  M.,  but  as  usual  it  was  late,  and  upon 
inquiry  Steve  found  that  it  would  not  be  there  until 
2  A.  M.  next  morning.  He  stayed  around  for  awhile, 
and  then  began  to  think  that  the  long  wait,  packed  in 
the  cars  was  liable  to  be  pretty  hard  on  the  old  cows. 
If  any  of  them  should  die  the  Commission  Company 
would  not  honor  the  order,  so  he  decided  to  ride  on 
into  Denver,  which  was  twenty-five  miles  away.  He 
reached  there  about  four  o'clock  and  presented  his 
order  for  payment. 

"Where  are  the  stock?"  inquired  BrockwelL 

"They  are  not  in  yet" 

"Well  you  wait  until  they  come  in,  and  then  bring 
in  the  order  and  I  will  cash  it." 

"I  don't  know  how  soon  the  cattle  will  be  in,  and  I 
have  to  get  back  home  to-night,"  objected  Steve.  "It 
ain't  nothing  to  me  if  they  never  get  here.  I  sold  them 
to  old  Rosenbaum,  and  it's  up  to  him.  All  I  want  is 
my  money.  I  don't  care  any  more  about  the  cattle,  but 
if  you  don't  pay  me,  I'll  go  out  and  stop  the  cattle. 

US 


STEVE  SELLS  SOME  CATTLE 

They  paid  mc  enough  down  that  I  can  afford  to  take 
them  back." 

"How  far  out  are  they?"  inquired  Brockwell. 

"Oh,  they  left  our  house  early  this  morning,  and 
ought  to  be  able  to  make  it  to-day,"  answered  Steve. 
Brockwell  hesitatingly  paid  him,  and  when  he  had  re- 
ceived the  money,  his  anxiety  to  leave  town  suddenly 
vanished.  The  next  morning  he  went  down  to  the 
stock  yards  to  see  in  what  condition  the  cattle  arrived. 
Something  distracted  his  attention  when  they  were  un- 
loaded and  presently  Isaac  saw  him  and  came  running 
up,  wringing  his  hands,  and  weeping. 

"You  tam  poy,  you  sheeted  me.  I  shtop  payment 
of  dot  order.  Von  of  dem  tam  shteers  done  make  to 
break  his  laig,  und  von  of  de  cows  make  to  die  lareatty. 
You  iss  von  tam  sheet." 

"I  didn't  cheat  you.  I  set  my  price  and  you  paid 
it.  I  was  going  to  cut  out  some  of  the  worst  stock, 
but  when  I  found  you  trying  to  make  Blackie  let  you 
have  them  for  less  than  I  offered  to  sell  them  to  you 
for,  I  thought  I  would  show  you  that  I  could  play 
Sheeney  tricks  too. 


149 


3a 

THE  ACCIDENT 

In  a  few  days  Ned  and  Marcia  again  went  off  on 
one  of  their  long  rides  and  Miss  Parker  remained  at 
home.  All  day  she  wandered  restlessly  about  the 
house,  unable  to  settle  herself  to  anything,  so  at  last 
she  decided  she  would  go  for  a  ride.  So  far  she  had 
never  gone  out  alone,  but  she  thought  she  knew  the 
country  well  enough  by  this  time  to  find  her  way  with- 
out any  difficulty. 

Calling  Flint,  she  asked  him  to  saddle  a  horse  for 
her.  He  looked  rather  doubtful  for  a  moment,  and 
then  said: 

"The  horse  you  usually  ride  is  lame,  and  there's 
nothin'  here  but  Trixie  that  we  keep  to  drive  in  the 
saddle  horses  and  milk  cows.  FU  go  out  and  get  an- 
other horse,  but  it  will  make  you  late  gettin'  started." 

"Why  can't  I  ride  Trixie?  I  only  want  to  go  for 
a  short  ride,  and  I  will  bring  back  the  milk  cows  as  I 
come  home." 

"Trixie  ain't  more'n  half  broke,  Miss  Parker,  an' 
I  am  afraid  to  let  you  ride  her.  That  tenderfoot  that 
was  out  here  last  summer  ruined  her.  He  came  out 
here  from  the  East  and  struck  Ned  for  a  job.  Said 
he  wanted  to  learn  how  to  break  horses,  and  he  was 
game  all  right,  but  he  didn't  know  how  to  ride. 

"When  he  came  over  from  Elizabeth  lookin'  for 
work,  Ned  asked  him  if  he  ever  rode  any,  and  he  said 
'No/  and  Ned  told  him,  'Well,  I've  got  a  little  mare 

150 


THE  ACCIDENT 

tliat  has  never  been  rode,  and  I  guess  I'll  just  let  you 
and  her  learn  to  ride  together.  It  never  fazed  him  a 
bit  He  didn't  know  enough  about  a  horse  to  be  afraid 
of  one. 

"He  brought  a  saddle  and  put  it  on  her  back,  the 
way  he  had  just  seen  Marcia  saddle  her  horse,  and 
Trixie  just  stood  there,  still  as  a  mouse,  lookin'  at  him 
out  of  the  tail  of  her  eye.  We  was  all  too  much  sur- 
prised to  say  anything  even  if  we  had  wanted  to. 
When  he  had  the  saddle  cinched  tight  he  put  on  the 
bridle  and  climbed  on,  and  say,  you'd  ought  to  a  seen 
that  little  beast  buck.  What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  it 
looked  like  she  would  jump  over  the  barn.  The  tender- 
foot dropped  the  reins,  in-there,  and  grabbed  the  horn 
with  both  hands,  but  even  at  that  he  didn't  last  more'n 
three  jumps,  when  he  sailed  through  the  air  like  an 
eagle.  But  he  had  pluck,  and  after  Trixie  had  bucked 
aroimd  with  the  saddle  until  she  was  tired,  he  got  up 
and  climbed  on  her  again,  and  she  stood  still  and  let 
him,  an'  then  she  went  through  the  same  performance 
again. 

"Every  day  he  went  out  and  tried  her  over  again  un- 
til at  last  Trixie  seemed  to  get  tired  of  the  fun  and  quit 
buckin'.  He  used  to  take  fine  care  of  her.  He  even 
roached  her  mane.  But  even  now  she'll  play  tricks. 
You'll  be  ridin'  along  in  a  gallop  and  first  thing  you 
know,  she'll  jump  way  off  to  one  side,  an'  there  won't 
be  a  thing  for  her  to  skeer  at,  but  she  don't  offer  to 
buck  any  more." 

**Well,  I  do  so  want  to  go  for  a  ride.  Perhaps  she 
won't  jump  at  anything  to-day  and  if  she  does  not  buck 
I  will  get  along  all  right." 

"Well,  I  don't  know,"  said  Flint,  doubtfully.  "Steve 
told  me  not  to  let  you  ride  anything  that  wasn't  well 
broke,  an'  if  I  let  you  have  her  an'  anything  happened 
to  you,  he'd  sure  give  me  Hell,  oh  1  excuse  me  ma'am. 

151 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

I  mean  he'd  be  damn  mad.  What-you-may-call-it-in- 
there,  I  don't  believe  I  know  what  I  do  mean,  ma'am, 
but  it's  nothin'  disrespectful." 

"That  is  all  right  Flint,  I  know  what  you  mean," 
answered  she,  much  amused  at  his  confusion.  "But  I 
want  to  go  for  a  ride,  and  Steve  let  his  sister  ride 
Trixie  when  she  was  over  here." 

"Well,  that's  all  right.  What-you-may-call-it-in- 
there,  them  girls  can  ride  as  good  as  any  cowboy.  Be- 
fore women  took  to  ridin'  men's  saddles,  and  side-sad- 
dles was  scarce,  they  used  to  ride  all  over  the  country 
bareback,  with  only  a  surcingle  around  the  horse,  like 
women  do  in  the  circus,  but  if  you  are  determined  to 
go  ril  saddle  her  for  you,  but  I  hope  you  won't  go  far." 

"All  right,  I  won't  go  far.  But  hurry  up,  it  is  get- 
ting late." 

Flint  soon  had  Trixie  saddle^,  and  Miss  Parker 
came  out,  called  the  dogs  and  started  off.  The  rain 
had  freshened  the  earth  and  the  grass  and  flowers 
seemed  to  have  taken  on  a  new  lease  of  life.  As  al- 
ways, when  in  the  saddle,  all  restlessness  left  her,  and 
Trixie,  in  seeming  understanding  of  her  mood,  walked 
slowly  along,  giving  her  ample  time  for  quiet  enjoy- 
ment of  the  scene.  She  was  completely  lost  to  all 
time  or  place,  and  paid  no  attention  to  the  direction 
she  took,  or  anything  except  the  peace  and  beauty  of 
the  surrounding  country. 

She  had  ridden  along  in  this  way  for  some  time, 
when  suddenly  from  behind  a  bunch  of  sage  brush, 
jumped  a  full-grown  Jack  rabbit,  and  bounded  off 
across  the  prairie.  Long  ears  erect,  fluffy  white  tail 
bobbing  up  and  down,  as  it  bounded  along  like  a  rub- 
ber ball;  taking  one  long  leap  and  then  a  short  one, 
bringing  his  powerful  hind  legs  well  up  under  him, 
and  shooting  oflf  again  into  space;  turning  his  head 

152 


THE  ACCIDENT 

from  side  to  side,  and  staring  with  round  eyes  to  see 
if  he  was  followed. 

The  dogs  were  hunting  at  a  little  distance,  investi- 
gating every  clump  of  sage,  or  soap  weed  or  little 
depression,  and  did  not  see  the  rabbit  until  called ;  then 
they  set  off;  the  lighter  ones  in  the  lead  at  first,  the 
heavier  ones  bringing  up  in  the  rear  to  come  in  on  a 
long,  steady  run  which  called  for  endurance  and  power. 

The  rabbit,  an  old  stager,  and  on  to  all  the  tricks  of 
the  chase,  with  prodigious  leaps,  led  straight  to  a  gul- 
ley,  down  one  side  and  up  the  other,  then  circled 
around  and  came  back  the  way  he  went  Leading  the 
dogs  up  and  down  the  hill  again,  hoping  to  wind  them 
in  the  early  part  of  the  race. 

But  Old  Nick  who  had  seen  that  trick  played  before, 
slowed  up,  letting  the  other  dogs  follow  the  rabbit's 
trail  up  and  down  the  hills,  while  he  shot  off  to  one 
side,  and  fresh  and  unwinded,  intercepted  the  rabbit  as 
he  returned  across  the  gulley. 

Seeing  this  vmexpected  adversary,  the  rabbit  became 
confused,  turned  and  ran  back  towards  the  other  dogs ; 
then  discovering  them,  whirled  and  launched  straight 
ahead,  the  whole  pack  at  his  heels;  too  close  for  him 
even  to  dodge.  Nick  in  the  lead,  jaws  spread  ready 
to  pick  him  up,  when  suddenly  the  Jack  ducked  into 
a  hole,  and  Nick's  jaws  closed  on  a  mouthful  of  dirt 

Laughing  at  their  disappointment  and  chagrin,  but 
well  pleased  to  see  the  rabbit  escape,  the  girl  called  the 
dogs  to  her  and  taking  a  biscuit  from  the  pocket  of 
her  coat,  fed  them  as  a  token  of  her  approval,  and 
again  started  on  her  way. 

Soon  she  came  to  a  wide  sandy  creek,  fringed  on 
either  side  by  a  thick  growth  of  trees.  The  shade 
looked  inviting  after  the  hot  glare  of  the  plains,  so  she 
decided  to  follow  the  course  of  the  stream  for  awhile^ 
and  ride  along  in  their  cool  shadows. 
153 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

Numberless  birds  called  to  each  other  from  the  tree- 
tops,  while  here  and  there  in  the  gnarled  and  twisted 
branches  of  the  willows  were  anchored  great  bunches 
of  dry  twigs,  which  puzzled  Miss  Parker  for  awhile, 
until  coming  to  an  unusually  low  branch,  she  saw  some 
half-grown  magpies  peeping  out.  A  little  farther  she 
came  to  what  she  judged  was  a  tragedy  wrought  by 
the  windstorm  of  the  day  before.  An  old  dead  willow 
had  been  blown  down,  and  scattered  all  about  were 
numberless  dry  twigs  which  had  formed  a  nest,  while 
here  and  there  among  the  ruins  were  little  birds  which 
had  been  killed  by  the  fall.  The  two  parents  circled 
aloft,  voicing  their  grief  with  loud  lamentations. 

Filled  with  pity  at  their  very  evident  distress.  Miss 
Parker  watched  them  for  a  moment,  allowing  Trixie 
to  find  her  own  way  around  the  fallen  tree,  when  sud- 
denly she  stepped  upon  a  dry  twig,  which  snapped  with 
a  loud  report,  and  she,  startled,  reared  and  jumped 
sideways  from  under  Miss  Parker,  leaving  her  with 
only  one  foot  in  the  stirrup,  and  holding  onto  the 
reins. 

Letting  loose  with  one  hand,  she  grabbed  the  horn, 
and  struggled  to  get  back  in  the  saddle,  but  Trixie  with 
a  wicked  look  in  her  eye,  continued  to  jump  sideways 
up  the  hill,  toward  the  low  hanging  branches  of  a 
tree. 

Seeing  that  it  was  impossible  to  get  back  into  the 
saddle,  she  loosened  her  foot,  and  stepped  down,  just 
in  time  to  avoid  being  dragged  off  by  the  drooping 
limbs.  Had  she  let  go  of  the  reins  all  would  have  been 
well,  but  Trixie  made  a  lunge  forward  and  Miss 
Parker  fell  backward,  striking  her  head  on  a  stone, 
and  slightly  twisting  her  ankle. 

Millions  of  stars  danced  before  her  eyes,  as  she  lay 
on  the  ground,  stunned  by  the  blow  on  her  head,  but 
kept  from  sinking  into  unconsciousness  by  the  pain  in 

154 


THE  accide:nt? 

her  ankle.  After  awhile  her  brain  cleared,  and  she  at- 
tempted to  get  up,  but  sank  back,  weak  and  faint,  and 
was  aroused  by  old  Nick  sympathetically  licking  her 
hands,  while  Bettie  and  the  pups  sat  aroimd  in  puzzled 
bewilderment 

As  the  afternoon  advanced,  she  made  frequent  ef- 
forts to  sit  up,  but  each  time  would  be  overcome  with 
dizziness.  As  long  as  she  lay  quiet,  her  mind  was 
comparatively  clear,  and  she  began  wondering  how 
she  was  to  get  home  before  nightfall.  Already  the  chill 
which  always  creeps  into  the  air  as  the  sun  goes  down 
was  stealing  upon  her,  and  making  her  long  for  the 
jacket  which  was  tied  behind  her  saddle. 

And  to  make  matters  worse,  the  dogs  showed  signs 
of  abandoning  her  in  spite  of  all  her  coaxing  and  pet- 
ting trying  to  keep  them  near.  They  would  come  up 
and  nose  her  hand,  and  not  finding  the  expected  tempt- 
ing morsel,  would  stalk  away,  much  disappointed,  and 
going  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  would  look  off  toward  the 
ranch.  Each  time  returning  more  reluctantly  in  answer 
to  her  call.  Finally  they  disappeared  one  by  one,  and 
forgetful  of  all  the  choice  tidbits  they  had  received  at 
her  hands,  hurried  home  to  get  their  supper.  When 
the  last  one  went  out  of  sight  over  the  hill,  the  girl 
burst  into  tears. 

After  a  time  she  ceased  weeping  and  summoned  what 
courage  she  could  muster,  to  enable  her  to  endure  the 
long  wait  until  some  one  should  come  from  the  ranch 
to  find  her.  This  would  not  beAmtil  far  in  the  night 
anyway,  and  perhaps  not  imtil  morning,  as  they  would 
not  miss  her  until  sundown,  and  then  they  would  not 
know  in  which  direction  to  begin  their  search. 

To  keep  herself  from  thinking  of  the  night  and  its 
possible  terrors,  she  began  to  listen  to  the  birds,  and 
trijed  to  determine  from  their  songs,  how  many  rari- 
eties  she  could  name. 

155 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

As  evening  approached,  the  Httle  ones  swallowed  the 
last  bug  that  the  sharp  eyes  of  their  parents  could  spy 
through  the  gathering  dusk.  Soon  they  were  nodding 
in  well-filled  contentment  and  the  mother  tucked  them 
safely  under  wings  for  the  night.  Then  each  male  of 
his  species,  his  labors  ended  for  the  day,  perched 
himself  comfortably  on  some  swaying  bough,  and 
added  his  voice  to  the  evening  concert. 

There  were  notes  of  love,  and  others  denoting  anger, 
while  others  were  twittering  along  in  a  conversational 
tone.  It  reminded  Miss  Parker  of  attending  grand 
opera,  and  listening  to  the  singers  declaring  love  and 
vowing  vengeance,  all  in  different  keys. 

The  same  day,  for  so  fate  arranges  things,  Steve  re- 
turned from  delivering  his  cattle  to  Denver,  surpris- 
ing his  family  by  making  a  much  quicker  trip  than 
usual.  He  sat  around  and  rested  for  awhile  after  din- 
ner; then  stepping  to  the  door,  he  looked  off  across 
the  prairie  in  seeming  uncertainty.  Then  he  went  to 
the  barn,  saddled  his  horse,  and  rode  out  in  the  pas- 
ture; ostensibly  to  look  after  the  stock. 

As  usual,  when  he  rode  toward  the  east,  he  found 
himself  looking  off  toward  the  Alton  Ranch,  and  felt 
the  impulse  to  ride  in  that  direction.  He  resisted  the 
temptation  all  afternoon,  but  as  the  shadows  began  to 
lengthen,  he  stopped  to  look  up  at  the  sun,  surveyed  the 
surrounding  landscape,  hesitated  for  a  moment  unde- 
cided, and  as  if  drawn  by  some  invisible  force  left  the 
trail  and  set  off  across  the  untracked  prairie.  He  gal- 
loped along  with  unabated  speed,  until  he  came  to  a 
high,  bare  ridge,  mostly  composed  of  smooth  white 
pebbles,  called  the  Indian  Mound,  so  named  because 
the  Indians  had  used  it  for  a  lookout  and  signal  station. 

He  paused  here  for  awhile,  his  keen  eyes  searching 
every  point  of  the  country,  but  if  asked  he  could  not 
have  told  what  he  expected  to  find, 

156 


THE  ACCrDENT 

As  he  sat  there  his  wise  old  horse  turned  his  head 
and  eyed  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  as  if  divining 
his  master's  indecision,  started  off  slowly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Alton  Ranch.  Then  finding  he  was  not 
checked,  quickened  his  pace  into  a  trot,  then  into  a  fast 
gallop,  and  kept  it  up  steadily,  up  hill  and  down,  only 
slowing  up  as  he  came  to  a  dry,  sandy  creek. 

As  he  was  picking  his  way  across  this,  both  horse 
and  rider  were  startled  by  a  faint  cry  for  help,  which 
seemingly  came  from  close  at  hand.  At  first  Steve 
could  discern  nothing  in  the  gloom.  A  second  call 
attracted  his  attention  to  a  dark  object,  half  concealed 
by  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 

He  dug  in  his  spurs,  and  with  two  bounds  was  be- 
side the  huddled  figure  which  toppled  over  as  he  rode 
up,  causing  the  horse  to  snort  and  plunge.  In  her 
anxiety  to  see  whether  the  horseman  had  heard  her 
or  not.  Miss  Parker  had  sat  up,  and  again  overcome 
by  dizziness  had  reeled  backward,  just  as  Steve  jumped 
off  his  horse  and  bent  over  her. 

All  the  brilliant  coloring  had  been  drained  from  her 
face  by  pain  and  shock,  and  the  sight  of  her  pale  face 
and  closed  eyes  made  Steve  tremble  and  grow  weak 
with  the  thought  that  she  was  dead.  She  had  not 
fainted,  though  her  senses  were  reeling,  and  she  had  to 
exert  all  her  will-power  to  keep  from  becoming  un- 
conscious, and  as  Steve  put  his  arm  under  her 
shoulders  and  lifted  her  up,  she  opened  her  eyes. 

At  the  sight  love  and  relief  found  expression  in  en- 
dearing terms,  and  in  the  same  breath  he  inquired : 
''What  has  happened?    Where  are  you  hurt?" 

"  It  is  my  head.  It  goes  round  and  round  like  a  top, 
and  I  can't  get  up.  I  have  lain  here  ages  and  ages, 
and  the  dogs  all  left  me.  And  I  was  afraid  the  coyotes 
would  eat  me  alive,  and  Fve  sprained  my  ankle,"  said 

157 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

she,  all  her  woes  coming  out  at  once  like  a  troubled 
child, 

"You  poor  little  thing.  But  how  did  it  happen? 
Can  you  stand  if  I  hold  you  ?"  Saying  which  he  helped 
her  up,  but  she  staggered  drunkenly  and  winced  with 
pain,  so  he  laid  her  down,  and  untying  his  coat  from 
the  back  of  the  saddle,  made  her  a  pillow.  As  he  was 
putting  it  under  her  head,  he  discovered  there  was 
a  small  scalp  wound,  much  swollen,  from  which  the 
blood  had  run  and  matted  in  her  hair. 

Telling  her  he  would  be  back  in  a  moment,  he 
mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  up  and  down  the  bed 
of  the  sandy  creek  for  quite  a  distance  in  search  of 
water  with  which  to  bathe  her  head,  but  not  a  drop 
could  be  found,  so  he  was  forced  to  bind  it  up  the 
best  he  could  with  his  scarf. 

This  done,  he  started  to  remove  the  boot  from  her 
injured  foot,  but  at  her  cry  of  pain,  desisted,  and  tak- 
ing out  his  knife  ripped  it  open,  and  the  foot  released 
from  the  pressure,  puffed  up  to  almost  twice  its  former 
size. 

Tearing  the  lining  out  of  his  coat,  he  tenderly  bound 
it  up,  and  then  suggested  going  to  the  ranch  for  help. 

"Oh !  Do  not  leave  me  out  here  alone  for  the  coyotes 
to  chew  on,"  exclaimed  she. 

"They  wouldn't  hurt  you,  but  if  you  are  afraid  to 
stay  I  guess  I  could  take  you  on  my  horse.  Jim  is 
gentle  and  can  carry  us  both  very  easily,  but  I  am 
afraid  it'll  hurt  you  awful  bad." 

"Let's  wait  awhile.  Perhaps  some  one  will  come 
looking  for  me,"  suggested  Miss  Parker. 

"No,  we  had  better  start  right  away.  The  sun  has 
been  down  quite  a  little  while,  and  it  will  soon  be  dark. 
Unless  Trixie  went  right  home  they  will  not  look 
for  you  tmtil  night  and  then  they  won't  be  able  to  tell 
which  way  you  wait" 

158 


THE  ACCIDENT 

With  that  he  led  his  horse  up  close  and  startdd  to 
lift  her  up  when,  with  a  diffident  look,  she  said : 

"Wait!  I  believe  I  can  stand."  And  she  did  for  a 
moment  as  the  pain  in  her  ankle  cleared  her  brain,  but 
soon  she  clutched  Steve  by  the  arm,  and  with  a  gasp, 
said: 

"All  right.  Get  me  home  as  quickly  as  possible.  I 
do  not  believe  I  can  endure  this  pain  much  longer." 

He  lifted  her  up  m  front  of  the  saddle,  and  steady- 
ing her  with  one  hand,  swung  himself  up,  the  horse 
turned  his  head,  and  observed  this  unusual  proceed- 
ing. Then  he  walked  slowly  along,  stepping  carefully, 
as  though  he  knew  any  sudden  motion  or  jar  was  not 
desired. 

They  went  along  for  a  Httle  way,  and  Steve  could 
see  that  the  motion  caused  excruciating  pain  in  her 
dangling  foot,  but  with  tightly  clenched  hands  and 
teeth  she  bore  it  for  a  while  without  a  sound.  Then 
all  at  once  her  head  sank  limply  back  over  Steve's  arm, 
and  she  became  unconscious. 

"Gee!  What  must  I  do?"  said  Steve,  "li  I  go 
on  the  pain  may  kill  her,  and  if  I  don't  we  may  have 
to  stay  out  here  all  night,  and  she  ought  to  have  care 
at  once." 

But  as  there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  he  dismounted 
and  gently  lifted  her  to  the  ground.  Pillowing  her 
head  on  his  knees,  he  began  chafing  her  ice-cold  hands 
and  wrists  in  an  effort  at  restoration. 

How  he  longed  for  some  water  to  bathe  her  face  and 
hands,  or  a  drop  of  brandy  to  quicken  her  sluggish 
pulse.  At  last  in  despair  he  began  bringing  her  arms 
up  over  her  head  and  down  at  her  sides  to  produce 
artificial  respiration,  and  was  soon  rewarded  by  a  low 
moan,  and  a  large  tear  slipped  from  beneath  her  closed 
eyelids  and  rolled  down  her  cheek. 

This  was  too  much  for  Steve,  and  he  lifted  her  ttp 
159 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

higher,  turned  his  back  to  the  wind,  drew  the  coat 
closer  about  her,  and  kissed  away  the  tears. 

Night  had  come  on  and  one  by  one  the  stars  blinked 
out  of  the  thickening  dusk.  The  sky  from  horizon  to 
horizon  was  void  of  clouds.  The  moon  a  silver  cres- 
cent, hung  poised  in  the  west,  and  shed  a  soft,  white 
light,  revealing  the  man,  the  girl  and  the  horse  as  the 
only  living  things  in  all  that  vast  wilderness.  Not  a 
tree  or  shrub  was  in  sight,  while  far  out  on  the  lonely 
prairie  a  single  coyote  sent  up  its  plaintive  wail. 

A  feeling  of  primitiveness  and  familiarity  with  the 
scene  stole  over  Steve  and  he  spoke  aloud. 

"We  might  be  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden." 

Trixie  did  not  go  straight  home  after  throwing  Miss 
Parker,  but  overjoyed  at  once  again  finding  herself 
free,  galloped  gaily  across  the  country,  kicking  up  her 
heels  and  neighing  with  delight. 

Finally  having  worked  off  some  of  her  exuberance, 
she  settled  down  to  grazing,  and  cropped  greedily  at 
the  new  grass  which  had  sprung  up  after  the  rain. 
As  she  ate,  her  gradually  filling  stomach  made  the 
cinches  tighter  and  tighter,  until  along  about  sunset 
their  pressure  became  decidedly  uncomfortable,  so  she 
hunted  up  a  nice  sandy  place  and  rolled. 

Finding  this  did  not  serve  she  suddenly  remembered 
how  she  had  once  bucked  a  saddle  loose  and  threw  it 
after  her  rider  in  contempt.  Acting  upon  the 
thought  at  once,  she  humped  her  back  and  went  after 
it,  and  bucked  as  only  a  tough  little  buckskin  bronc 
can. 

She  seemed  to  throw  herself  into  it  with  all  the 
abandon  of  an  accomplished  toe  dancer,  balancing  and 
whirling  over  the  stage  with  an  appreciative  bald- 
ISO 


THE  ACCIDENT 

headed  row  for  an  audience.  At  last  when  she  was 
approaching  the  climax,  and  was  madly  turning  pin 
wheels,  and  the  saddle  was  hanging  by  one  half-broken 
cinch,  Ned  and  Marcia  appeared  in  view. 

"What  the  devil?"  exclaimed  Ned. 

"It's  Trixie,  and  I  guess  she's  bucked  Flint  oflF,"  ob- 
served Marcia. 

"No !  she  has  thrown  Miss  Parker.  See,  there's  her 
red  jacket  tied  behind  the  saddle.  I  wonder  where 
jhe  is.    I  don't  see  her  anywhere." 

"Oh!  I  am  sure  she  is  killed,  and  it's  getting  dark 
md  we  can't  find  her." 

"No,"  objected  Ned,  examining  the  ground.  "Here 
are  Trixie's  tracks  where  she  began  to  buck,  and  there 
is  where  she  rolled.  She  must  have  thrown  her  before. 
You  ride  down  that  gulch  and  I'll  go  around  this  hill 
and  meet  you.  If  you  find  her  fire  your  revolver,  and 
if  I  find  her  I'll  do  the  same." 

With  that  agreement  they  set  off,  each  vainly  listen- 
ing for  the  report  of  the  other's  gun.  After  that  they 
rode  on  together,  searching  and  calling,  until  finally 
Ned  halted,  and  started  firing  his  pistol  at  intervals, 
listening  intently  between  times,  but  for  what  he  did 
not  know  as  he  did  not  think  Miss  Parker  had  a  re- 
volver with  her. 

But  almost  instantly  out  of  the  stillness,  came  an 
answering  report,  and  deciding  that  some  one  from  the 
ranch  was  out  searching  also,  they  rode  toward  the 
sound,  shooting  now  and  then  to  keep  the  right  direc- 
tion. Presently  they  came  in  sight  of  a  fire  which 
Steve  had  built,  having  ridden  back  to  the  creek  and 
carried  up  some  wood. 

After  learning  the  extent  of  Miss  Parker's  injuries 
Ned  rode  back  to  the  ranch  for  a  wagon,  and  when 
this  was  ready  hurried  back  after  her,  but  before  leav* 

161 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G^  RANCH 

ing,  dispatched  Flint  for  the  nearest  doctor,  which  was 
at  Elizabeth,  eight  miles  away. 

Mrs.  Alton  returned  with  Ned  bringing  a  supply  of 
linament  and  bandages,  and  soon  had  Miss  Parker's 
head  and  ankle  bound  up.  Then  lifting  her  into  the 
wagon  they  carried  her  to  the  house. 

Steve  had  to  repeat  so  many  times  how  he  found 
Miss  Parker  and  cared  for  her  that  he  became  tired 
of  speech. 

When  the  physician  arrived  he  pronounced  Miss 
Parker  not  seriously  injured,  but  suffering  from  a 
slight  concussion  of  the  brain  and  a  wrenched  ankle, 
which  though  painful  at  the  time,  was  not  likely  to  give 
her  much  trouble  if  she  kept  quiet  for  awhile. 

Hearing  this  everybody  went  to  their  different 
quarters  for  the  night.  All  excepting  Mrs.  Alton,  who 
was  going  to  sleep  on  a  couch  in  Miss  Parker's  room 
so  as  to  be  ready  to  get  her  anything  she  might  need. 

Steve  lay  with  wide-open  eyes  until  far  toward  morn- 
ing, gazing  at  the  stars  through  his  open  window,  and 
living  over  again  this  most  wonderful  event  of  his  life. 
He  had  held  the  girl  he  loved  in  his  arms,  and  his 
pulses  thrilled  at  the  memory  of  the  stolen  kisses. 
Surely,  he  thought,  she  could  not  be  indifferent  to  him 
now,  since  he  had  cared  for  her  in  her  helplessness. 
The  thought  added  new  fuel  to  the  flame  which  seemed 
already  about  to  constmie  him. 

And  then  he  fell  to  wondering  whether  she  would 
be  able  to  go  on  the  camping  trip  to  the  mountains 
that  Ned  and  Marcia  had  been  planning,  and  on  which 
he  had  been  counting  so  much  to  help  him  in  his  suit 
for  her  hand. 

The  next  morning  Miss  Parker  was  well  enough  to 
put  a  decided  veto  on  the  suggestion  of  wiring  her 
mother.  In  a  few  days  the  dizziness  left  her  and  the 
wound  healed.     The  only  difficulty  was  her  ankle, 

162 


THE  ACCIDENT 

which  was  badly  swollen,  and  very  sore,  althotigh  the 
physician  thought  it  was  not  broken  nor  dislocated. 

He  was  positive  in  regard  to  the  treatment,  however, 
and  ordered  her  not  to  attempt  to  use  it  for  a  couple 
of  weeks,  and  with  a  sly  look  at  Steve,  suggested  that 
there  ought  to  be  some  one  around  all  the  time  to  see 
that  his  mandate  was  obeyed. 

In  a  day  or  two  Miss  Parker  said  that  she  thought 
she  could  get  up  if  she  only  had  some  crutches,  so 
Steve  made  a  hurried  trip  home  after  a  pair  of  crutches 
which  he  had  used  one  time  when  he  had  been  hurt 
by  a  horse  falling  with  him.  After  these  were  cut 
off  a  little  she  took  the  rest  by  surprise  by  hobbling  out 
while  they  were  eating  dinner. 

After  that  Steve  hovered  about  like  her  shadow,  and 
willingly  forsook  all  out-door  life  for  one  of  compan- 
ion. It  was  lucky  that  there  was  nothing  of  importance 
to  be  done  on  his  father's  ranch  at  that  time,  as  it 
would  have  been  sadly  neglected  if  there  had  been. 

Along  about  the  end  of  the  second  week  the  swell- 
ing commenced  to  go  down,  and  they  began  to  hope 
that  they  would  be  able  to  take  the  camping  trip  after 
all. 

The  doctor  was  called  and  examined  Miss  Parker's 
foot,  and  gave  his  reluctant  consent,  but  growled  out 
many  words  of  warning  and  caution  as  he  took  his 
leave,  - 


IfiS 


xn 

CAMPING  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

The  first  day  of  September  was  the  time  set  for 
starting  on  their  much-talked-of  camping  trip,  and 
when  Steve  arrived  at  the  Alton  Ranch  about  noon  the 
day  before,  bringing  his  bed  and  what  clothing  he 
would  need  on  the  trip,  he  found  Ned  and  Marcia 
quite  enthusiastic  over  this  trip,  on  which  they  were 
going  to  use  their  new  camp  wagon,  which  had  only 
arrived  that  morning. 

"That  is  quite  a  fancy  outfit^"  remarked  he,  look- 
ing it  over. 

**Yes,  it  is,"  answered  Marcia.  "But  every  time  we 
went  camping  there  were  so  many  things  that  we  could 
not  carry  in  the  old  chuck  wagon  we  use  on  the  round- 
up that  we  decided  to  have  one  made  to  order,  and  this 
is  the  result. 

"Here  is  the  chuck  box  at  the  back,  and  underneath 
it  is  another  box,  in  which  we  carry  our  cooking 
utensils." 

"Where  are  your  bows  for  the  wagon  sheet?"  in- 
quired Steve. 

"We  are  not  going  to  have  any,  as  they  make  the 
wagon  harder  to  puU  when  the  wind  blows,  and  also 
obstruct  the  view.  We  have  a  tarpaulin  to  spread 
over  it^  and  when  it  storms  we  will  wear  our  slickers," 


CAMPESG  m  THE  MOUNTAINS 

About  an  hour  after  sun-up  next  morning  they  were 
ready  to  start.  Miss  Parker,  who  was  to  ride  with 
Ned  in  the  wagon,  climbed  up  into  the  seat,  before 
they  hitched  up  the  four  mules,  as  the  two  leaders, 
Chakawana  and  Jaunita,  were  only  partially  broke; 
Mary  Jane  and  Maud,  the  two  wheelers,  were  old 
timers,  and  looked  with  tolerent  eyes  upon  the  antics 
of  these  skittish  youngsters. 

Steve  kept  hold  of  their  bridles  until  Ned  took  his 
seat  and  had  a  good  grip  on  the  lines,  then  he  let 
go  and  sprang  aside.  Chakawana  and  Jaunita  lunged 
forward,  galloping  and  bucking,  and  swept  Mary  Jane 
and  Maud  along  with  them  toward  the  creek. 

Miss  Parker  clutched  the  seat  with  both  hands,  and 
held  her  breath.  Ned  set  the  brake  as  they  approached 
the  stream,  and  left  it  on  as  they  went  down  and 
up  its  steep  banks.  This  served  to  check  their  mad 
flight. 

Marcia  and  Steve  followed  on  horseback,  driving  be- 
fore them  the  two  extra  saddle  horses,  which  they 
were  taking  along  for  Ned  and  Miss  Parker  to  ride 
when  they  wished.         * 

Early  risers  in  Kiowa  waved  them  an  envious  good- 
bye as  they  clattered  through,  and  Uncle  Ben  Mordant, 
who  was  on  his  way  to  Denver,  climbed  out  of  the 
stage  coach  and  disappeared  inside  the  nearest  saloon, 
only  to  reappear  in  a  few  minutes  with  two  bottles 
which  he  handed  to  Ned  with  a  wink,  saying : 

"You  folks  might  get  a  touch  of  mountain  fever,  and 
this  medicine  is  a  sure  cure." 

"Gee!  I  believe  I  feel  a  little  feverish  now,"  said 
Steve. 

"Well,  come  along  inside  then,"  said  Uncle  Ben. 
"For  if  the  fever  is  startin'  so  soon,  you'll  need  all 
that  is  in  them  bottles  to  cure  you.  Where  can  I  put 
them,  Ncdr 

165 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Put  them  down  in  this  oat  bin,  underneath  the  seat. 
Here,  Miss  Parker,  hold  the  mules.  I  believe  I  need 
a  dose  of  that  medicine  too."  And  thrusting  the  Hnes 
in  her  hands,  he  followed  Uncle  Ben  and  Steve  inside 
the  saloon,  and  Marcia  laughed  at  the  shocked  look  on 
Miss  Parker's  face. 

They  soon  returned.  Uncle  Ben  climbed  into  the 
stage.  The  driver  cracked  his  whip,  and  swung  out  in 
the  lead,  and  Ned  followed  close  behind.  When  they 
had  descended  the  next  hill  and  Kiowa  disappeared 
they  considered  themselves  well  started  on  their  way. 
After  a  time  the  mules  settled  down  to  a  steady  pace, 
and  jogged  along  in  a  leisurely  fashion. 

When  noon  came  they  made  camp  along  the  road 
near  a  gulch  where  there  was  a  little  spring  trickling 
out  of  the  bank,  Ned  was  cook,  and  soon  the  appetizing 
odor  of  boiling  coffee  and  ham  broiling  over  the  coals 
filled  the  air. 

The  coffee  bubbled  up  in  an  incredibly  short  time, 
and  Ned  who  was  on  the  lookout  for  just  such  a 
contingency,  picked  up  a  hook  and  quickly  lifted  up 
the  pot  before  the  contents  ran  over  and  put  out  the 
fire.  They  had  brought  bread  with  them,  and  so  din- 
ner was  soon  ready.  Getting  a  plate  and  cup,  and 
helping  herself.  Miss  Parker  sat  down  in  the  shade 
of  the  wagon  and  ate  her  first  meal  in  the  open. 

After  a  short  rest  they  started  onward,  and  along 
in  the  afternoon  came  to  a  large  tract  of  land  cov- 
ered with  stately  pines,  called  the  Big  Trust  Timber. 
Through  the  shadows  cast  by  their  spreading  branches 
they  wended  their  way  along  the  narrow  trail,  which 
wound  among  the  trees,  and  when  evening  came,  made 
camp  in  a  little  sun-mottled  glade,  so  as  to  avoid  set- 
ting the  forest  on  fire. 

While  Ned  was  getting  supper,  Steve  and  Marcia  fed 
and  watered  the  horses  and  mules,  and  then  erected  for 

166 


CAMPING  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

Miss  Parker's  use  the  same  little  tent  which  Ned  and 
Marcia  used  on  the  round-up.  When  this  was  done, 
Steve  stripped  some  of  the  smaller  boughs  from  the 
trees,  and  laid  them  on  the  ground,  making  a  springy 
mattress,  over  which  she  spread  her  blankets.  They 
were  through  just  as  Ned  sent  out  a  ringing  call  of: 
"Chuck  is  ready,"  which  was  echoed  back  from  hilltop 
to  hilltop. 

Getting  their  cups  and  plates  out  of  the  drawer, 
they  seated  themselves  on  the  dry,  crisp  grass  just 
as  the  sun,  a  gleaming,  copper  ball,  hung  poised  in  the 
west,  seemingly  waiting  a  moment  to  greet  her  sister 
orb,  the  moon,  which  at  the  same  time  rose  round  and 
luminous  in  the  east,  above  the  dark  shadows  of  the 
pines. 

"What  a  strange  phenomenon,"  remarked  Miss 
Parker.  "I  never  before  saw  the  sim  and  moon  hang- 
ing above  the  horizon  like  that.  It  looks  like  two 
suns." 

"Maybe  that  coffee  is  too  strong  for  you,  and  you 
are  seein'  things.  Fve  often  thought  I  saw  two 
moons,"  laughed  Ned,  winking  at  Steve. 

"Sure,"  agreed  Steve.  "So  have  I,  but  I  don't  sec 
anything  that  looks  like  two  suns  now  do  you  ?"  And 
then  turning  to  Miss  Parker,  as  he  put  away  his  cup 
and  plate,  he  suggested:  "Let's  walk  to  the  top  of 
the  hill  and  get  a  better  view.  Maybe  it  will  clear 
your  vision." 

"Oh !  all  right,"  agreed  she  smiling.  ''When  Trixie 
threw  me  and  I  bumped  my  head  I  thought  I  saw  mil- 
lions of  stars  before  my  eyes,  and  perhaps  they  have 
grown  into  moons  by  now." 

As  the  moon  i  ounted  steadily  higher,  the  sun  sank 
behind  the  trees,  sending  back  a  faint,  rosy  reflection 
that  deepened  into  a  gowing  crimson,  streaked  richly 
with  purple.    The  two  young  people  had  by  this  time 

167 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G'*  RANCH 

reached  the  top  of  the  hiU,  and  stood  with  their  figures 
sharply  outlined  against  the  evening  sky. 

While  the  girl  silently  enjoyed  tiie  spectacle,  Steve 
stood  looking  at  her  with  a  tender,  dreamy  expres- 
sion in  his  eyes,  and  there  stole  over  him  a  feeling 
of  ineffable  peace  and  content.  He  came  back  to  the 
present  with  a  start  at  a  remark  from  her,  but  his 
absorption  had  been  so  great  that  he  had  to  ask  her 
to  repeat  it,  and  then  he  answered  promptly: 

"Yes,  I  think  it  is  the  finest  sunset  I  ever  saw.*' 

"Well,  why  don't  you  look  at  it  then  ?*'  inquired  she 
mischievously. 

"I  am  looking  at  the  only  part  that  makes  it  unusual 
for  me.  I've  seen  that  same  combination  of  sun  and 
sky  lots  of  times,  but  always  there  was  something 
lackin'.  To-night,  it  is  perfect.  I  understand  what 
Adam  meant  when  he  said  that  it  is  not  good  for  man 
to  live  alone." 

"It  was  not  Adam  who  said  that,"  laughed  she.  "It 
was  God." 

"Well,  I  was  wonderin'  how  Adam  happened  to 
cipher  that  out  for  himself,  when  he  had  always  been 
alone,"  chuckled  he,  and  then  with  a  power  of  analysis 
and  depth  of  expression  that  surprised  her,  he  con- 
tinued :  "I  suppose  he  was  like  I  have  been,  and  would 
sit  and  gaze  at  the  sunset,  and  feel  his  heart  swxll 
and  ache  with  an  unaccountable  loneliness,  and  puzzle 
over  what  was  the  matter,  until  God  took  pity  on  him." 

Then  coming  down  from  his  lofty  heights,  he  added 
with  his  characteristic  dry  humor: 

"I'll  bet  he  didn't  need  an  interpreter  when  he  awoke 
from  that  deep  sleep  he  was  in,  while  God  was  per- 
formin*  the  delicate  operation  of  removin'  a  rib  and 
tumin'  it  into  a  woman.  When  he  found  Eve  sittin' 
beside  him  he  must  have  known  at  once  what  had  been 
spoilin'  the  views,  and  makin'  even  the  Garden  of  Eden 

168 


CAMPma  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

as  barren  of  joy  as  a  desert  waste.  I  can  see  where  Tm 
goin'  to  enjoy  this  campin'  trip  as  I  never  enjoyed  any- 
thing before." 

She  was  about  to  make  some  pertinent  reply,  to 
cover  the  confusion  caused  by  his  words  and  ardent 
glances,  when  Ned  called  to  them  through  the  gather- 
ing dusk. 

"Hey,  you  two.  It's  time  to  go  to  bed.  We  ain't 
goin'  to  sit  up  all  night  chaperoninM"  You've  looked 
that  moon  plumb  out  of  countenance,  and  it's  hidin'  be- 
hind a  cloud.  I'll  order  it  up  about  noon  to-morrow 
so  that  you  can  get  an  early  start." 

The  camp  fire  had  burned  down  to  a  few  glowing 
coals,  and  these  Ned  and  Steve  put  out  for  fear  that 
the  wind  might  come  and  start  a  conflagration.  When 
they  were  through,  they  all  repaired  to  their  different 
quarters  for  the  night. 

Ned  and  Marcia  made  their  bed  alongside  the  tent, 
but  Steve  being  more  luxuriously  inclined,  went  up 
among  the  trees,  and  finding  one  with  low  hanging 
boughs,  heaped  up  some  pine  needles  and  spread  his 
blankets  over  them.  He  pulled  off  his  coat  and 
wrapped  his  boots  in  it,  then  put  them  under  his  head 
for  a  pillow,  and  slid  between  the  blankets.  With  a 
few  sinuous  wriggles  he  made  a  place  to  fit  his  body, 
and  was  soon  lost  in  a  deep  and  dreamless  sleep,  which 
many  a  man  tossing  on  his  bed  of  eiderdown  might 
envy. 

Through  the  open  flaps  of  her  tent  Miss  Parker  lay 
and  studied  the  heavens  and  listened  to  the  pines  over- 
head sighing  out  their  mournful  wail  of  tragedy  and 
sadness. 

The  next  day  they  reached  Colorado  Springs,  and 
driving  over  to  Manitou,  made  camp  at  the  foot  of 
Pike's  Peak,  and  from  its  protecting  shelter,  visited 
the  many  places  of  interest  around  that  romantic  spot. 

169 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Then  began  the  tortuous  climb  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountains,  which  was  their  destination.  They  struck 
boldly  off  up  Ute  Pass,  following  a  narrow  shelf-like 
road,  hewed  out  of  the  granite  cliffs,  winding  ever  up- 
ward along  the  mountain  side.  While  deep  in  the 
trough  of  the  gorge,  hundreds  of  feet  below,  was  a 
racing  riot  of  water,  churned  into  soft,  white  foam, 
where  it  tumbled  madly  over  the  rocks. 

The  two  led  mules  shrank  nervously  away  from  the 
edge  of  the  precipice,  and  crowding  and  shoving,  kept 
as  close  to  the  side  of  the  mountains  as  their  harness 
would  permit,  making  it  difficult  to  drive  them  and 
leaving  all  the  load  for  the  rear  mules  to  pulL 

These  were  accustomed  to  traveling  along  dizzy 
heights,  as  they  had  been  used  by  Ned  and  Marcia 
every  year  on  their  camping  trips.  However,  Miss 
Parker  had  a  fellow  feeling  for  Chakawana  and  Jaim- 
ita,  as  she  was  equally  terrified,  and  finally  as  they 
rounded  a  short  curve,  and  the  wagon  swung  out,  she 
looked  straight  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  gorge  with 
a  thrill  of  terror.  As  she  felt  the  insistent  tug  of  the 
force  of  gravity,  reaching  out  like  the  tenticles  of 
some  hideous  monster,  to  drag  her  downward,  she  shut 
her  eyes,  and  clutched  a  rope  that  was  tied  over  the 
wagon  to  hold  the  many  bundles  in  place. 

She  held  onto  this  until  noon  came  to  her  relief, 
when  they  ate  their  lujich  on  a  little  plateau.  Then  un- 
mindful of  all  advice  about  using  her  foot  too  soon, 
she  persuaded  Steve  to  saddle  her  horse,  hoping  in 
this  way  to  overcome  the  dizziness  and  terror,  which 
attacks  so  many  people  in  high  places. 

As  the  afternoon  advanced,  and  either  Steve  or 
Marcia  rode  between  her  and  the  gorge,  her  nervous- 
ness gave  place  to  a  feeling  of  security,  and  for  the 
first  time  since  starting,  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of 
the  scenery  made  itself  felt.    Sbe  thrilled  with  the  reali- 

170 


CAMPING  IN  THE  MOUNT^AINS 

zation  that  she  was  at  last  in  the  heart  of  the  Rockies, 
and  would  soon  climb  to  the  top  of  those  lofty  peaks, 
and  from  their  summit  look  off  into  space  illimitable. 

Like  ants  upon  a  highway  they  followed  the  trail,  the 
peaks  looming  grand  and  forbidding  above  them,  and 
she  pondered  upon  the  littleness  of  humanity  and  its 
petty  striving.  The  others  seemed  to  feel  the  spell,  and 
as  they  rode  along  the  hush  of  the  mountains  set  its 
seal  upon  their  spirits,  and  no  one  spoke  for  some  time. 

The  mules,  too,  seemed  to  be  impressed  by  the  soli- 
tude, and  were  moving  along  half  asleep,  when  sud- 
denly they  came  to  a  down  grade,  and  Ned  attempted 
to  set  the  brake,  but  it  did  not  catch.  The  heavy  wagon 
crowded  upon  them,  and  they,  startled  from  their  nap, 
instead  of  trying  to  hold  back,  broke  into  a  wild  run 
down  the  road. 

Ned  shouted  to  the  riders  in  front,  and  upon  look- 
ing back  and  and  discovering  the  trouble,  they  in- 
stantly set  their  horses  into  a  run.  This  would  have 
quickly  put  them  out  of  danger,  but  Miss  Parker's 
horse,  which  had  been  ridden  but  little  since  they 
started,  became  obstinate  and  commenced  to  buck. 
She  clutched  wildly  for  the  honi,  and  not  finding  it, 
her  hand  waved  impotently  in  the  air  for  a  few 
minutes. 

Steve  reined  his  horse  alongside,  and  holding  him 
there,  settled  himself  in  the  saddle  and  reached  out 
and  caught  her  as  she  fell.  He  checked  his  horse  for 
an  instant,  w^hile  she  clambered  on  behind.  Then 
telling  her  to  slip  into  the  saddle,  jumped  off  and  ran 
swiftly  toward  the  granite  cliff,  and  flattened  himself 
against  its  side,  the  wagon  and  mules  clattering  toward 
him. 

Fearing  that  the  wagon  would  strike  him  as  it 
lurched  by,  he  crouched  a  moment,  and  tightening  his 
clastic  muscles,  shot  upward  like  a  spring  released,  and 

171 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G^'  RANCH 

caught  hold  of  a  wild  currant  bush  which  grew  out 
of  the  rocks  above  his  head.  He  felt  it  give  as  the 
roots  broke  loose  from  their  shallow  moorings,  and  let- 
ting go  with  one  hand,  caught  at  a  rock  which  jutted 
out  a  little  beyond  its  fellows.  The  roots  broke  one 
by  one,  slowly  his  fingers  slipped  off  the  rock,  and  all 
holds  giving  way  at  once,  he  dropped  with  a  thud, 
just  as  the  wagon  swayed  under  him. 

Instantly  upon  alighting  he  crawleld  onto  the  seat 
with  Ned,  set  the  brake  and  held  it.  This  served  to 
check  them  somewhat,  and  coming  to  an  up-grade 
they  soon  settled  down  to  a  walk. 

Miss  Parker,  puzzled  as  to  which  of  the  two  evils 
was  the  lesser,  finally  decided  to  continue  riding,  as 
Steve's  horse  seemed  amenable  to  reason. 

That  evening  they  reached  a  lofty  meadow,  between 
jutting  peaks.  Close  against  one,  with  a  sheer,  straight 
wail  for  a  bank,  lay  a  tiny  lake  fed  by  a  little  mountain 
brook,  which  flowed  fresh  from  the  snows  above. 

This  meadow  and  lake  had  been  their  objective 
point,  and  they  at  once  set  about  making  a  permanent 
camp,  as  from  here  they  could  hunt  and  fish,  and 
later  make  their  way  to  the  summit  on  horseback,  car- 
rying their  camp  outfit  on  the  mules. 

Putting  a  bell  on  Mary  Jane,  they  turned  the  horses 
and  mules  loose  to  graze  about  They  were  pretty 
well  camp-broke  by  tliis  time,  and  only  occasionally 
wandered  so  far  away  that  the  tinkle  of  the  bell  could 
not  be  heard.  They  were  left  to  shift  for  themselves, 
which  was  not  a  difficult  matter,  as  the  valley  was  cov- 
ered with  tender  green  grass,  and  soon  their  sides  were 
bulging  comfortably. 

While  Ned  and  Steve  settled  camp  and  erected  the 
tent,  Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  took  out  the  rods  and 
whipped  the  lake  for  trout,  which  rose  to  the  fly  so 

172 


CAMPING  IN  THE  MOtnifTAINS 

qtiickly  that  there  was  little  sport  in  catching  them,  and 
presently  they  desisted  Huntii^  up  a  flat  stone  they 
helped  Ned  dress  what  they  needed  for  supper,  and 
then  broiled  them  in  the  dutch  ovou 


173 


XIII 

THE  EAGLE 

Along  about  sunset,  while  they  were  eating  supper, 
there  appeared  in  the  blue  arc  of  sky  above  them  an 
immense  Golden  Eagle,  his  bronze  wings  wide-spread 
and  motionless,  slowly  circling  overhead,  as  if  inspect- 
ing this  new  feature  of  his  well-known  landscape. 

They  sat  with  faces  uplifted,  watching  him,  when 
suddenly  he  paused  a  moment,  as  if  weighing  the 
chances,  and  then  with  incredible  swiftness,  swooped 
down  upon  them.  They  dodged  and  threw  up  their 
hands,  but  he  went  straight  on  over  their  heads  to  the 
rock  where  they  had  left  the  rest  of  the  fish.  He  picked 
up  a  large  trout  in  his  talons,  then  with  powerful  down- 
ward beats  of  his  giant  wings,  flew  almost  straight 
upward  imtil  out  of  range,  and  with  a  long  graceful 
curve,  swept  up  toward  the  high  snow-crested  peak 
opposite,  and  came  to  rest  on  a  tall,  pointed  rock  which 
rose  straight  and  high  like  a  church  spire  above  the 
cliff. 

They  stood  looking  after  him  in  amazement  for 
awhile,  and  then  turned  to  finish  their  supper,  which 
had  been  interrupted  so  simmiarily,  only  to  find  every- 
tliing  full  of  ashes  from  the  camp  fire,  which  the  beat- 
ing of  his  giant  wings  had  puffed  up. 

As  they  saw  him  many  times  each  day,  winging  his 
silent  flight  to  or  from  the  mountain,  or  seated  on  his 
lofty  perch,  they  began  to  speculate  upon  the  w^here- 

174 


THE  EAGLE 

abouts  of  his  nest,  and  one  morning  as  with  wide- 
spread wings,  he  launched  himself  off  across  the  moim- 
tain  tops,  Ned,  who  was  stretched  out  on  the  ground, 
looked  up  and  said : 

''I  wonder  what  an  eagle's  nest  looks  like?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Steve.  "I'd  sure  like  to 
see  one.  Supposin'  we  go  and  visit  him.  He'll  think 
we  ain't  polite,  if  we  don't  return  his  call  pretty  soon." 

"All  right,  I'll  go  you,"  agreed  Ned,  and  getting  up 
they  set  out  on  their  difficult  and  dangerous  enterprise, 
as  heedlessly  as  two  small  boys  daring  each  other  to 
climb  a  tree  and  destroy  the  nest  of  a  bluejay. 

After  going  around  the  lake  they  came  to  a  gradual 
slope,  which  was  so  easy  of  ascent,  and  they  made 
such  good  headway,  that  they  began  to  think  they  were 
going  on  a  fool's  errand,  as  no  eagle  would  build  its 
nest  in  a  place  that  was  apparently  so  accessible. 

However,  upon  topping  a  sudden  rise,  they  came  to 
a  sheer,  straight  wall  of  dark  red  sandstone,  which  at 
first  appeared  to  be  absolutely  impassable.  They 
dreaded  the  chaffing  they  would  receive  should  they  re- 
turn to  camp  without  having  found  the  nest,  so  they 
determined  to  see  if  they  could  not  find  a  way  up. 

Upon  looking  closer  they  found  that  it  was  marked 
here  and  there  by  narrow  ledges,  the  lowest  of  which 
seemed  to  be  near  enough  for  one  of  them  to  reach 
and  swing  himself  onto  by  mounting  to  the  shoulders 
of  the  other.  This  Ned,  who  was  the  lighter,  quickly 
did,  and  once  up,  began  looking  about  for  means  to 
hoist  up  his  companion. 

Had  they  been  seasoned  mountain  climbers  they 
would  have  taken  the  precaution  before  starting  to 
coil  their  lariats  about  their  waists,  and  then  the  mat- 
ter would  have  been  very  simple. 

However,  above  the  ledge,  the  face  of  the  clifF  had 
been  rent  apart,  and  in  this  large  crevice  the  dust  of 

175 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'*  RANCH 

ages  had  been  drifted  by  the  wind,  and  held  there  by 
the  water  from  a  tiny  spring  which  trickled  out 
of  the  cliff  above,  and  supplied  abundant  moisture  for 
a  few  shrubs,  and  a  wild  grape  vine,  which  clambered 
over  the  rocks  above. 

Quickly  tearing  it  loose  from  the  rocks,  Ned  let  down 
the  end,  but  kept  a  firm  hold  just  above  the  roots,  lest 
they  pull  out  as  Steve  started  to  climb  up  it,  and  let 
him  fall  backward. 

The  ledge  upon  which  they  lound  themselves,  while 
about  five  feet  wide  where  they  stood,  gradually  nar- 
rowed as  it  wound  across  the  cliff,  until  there  was 
just  room  for  them  to  go  sideways  by  clinging  to  the 
rocks  with  their  hands.  It  ended  abruptly  in  a  slide, 
composed  of  small  pebbles.  Down  this  the  hoary  old 
peak  was  wont  to  send  sliding  and  crashing  its  sur- 
plus snow  to  the  valley,  when  the  warm  suns  of  spring 
had  loosened  it  from  its  moorings  on  the  mountain 
side. 

Up  this  they  climbed,  or  crawled  with  infinite  care. 
Now  and  then  they  could  steady  themselves  by  clutch- 
ing the  boulders  along  the  edge.  At  such  times  they 
would  hold  on  tightly  for  a  few  moments,  and  lay  flat 
on  their  stomachs  for  a  much-needed  breathing  spell, 
while  the  merciless  rays  of  the  noonday  sun  beat 
down  upon  them. 

They  had  climbed  what  seemed  to  them  many  miles, 
but  was  in  reality  a  few  hundred  feet,  when  they  came 
to  another  narrow  ledge  like  the  one  from  which  they 
started.  They  decided  to  see  if  this  was  not  on  a 
level  with  the  eagle's  nest,  and  sure  enough  as  they 
worked  their  way  along,  they  saw  ahead  of  them  the 
tall  rock,  and  a  little  below  was  the  eagle's  nest.  A 
heterogeneous  mass  of  dry  twigs,  with  no  soft  down 
to  make  it  cozy  for  their  3roung. 

17§ 


THE  EAGLE 

Oft  tke  nest  were  two  young  eagles  about  half  grown, 
which  uttered  shrill  cries  of  alarm  at  sight  of  these 
Strang*  beings  invading  their  domain. 

Evidently  both  parents  must  have  bc«n  somewhere 
near,  as  they  soon  came  swooping  down  upon  the 
intruders,  and  before  they  could  draw  their  revolvers, 
began  tearing  at  them  with  beak  and  claws,  and  buffet- 
ing them  with  their  rigid  wings. 

Steve  drew  his  revolver  and  fired  at  the  mother  bird, 
who  seemed  bent  upon  pecking  out  his  eyes.  In 
doing  so  made  a  misstep,  and  went  tumbling  over  the 
edge  of  the  cliff,  crashing  and  rolling,  falling  so  swiftly 
that  he  had  no  time  to  grab  at  whatever  shrubs  there 
were.  All  at  once,  his  progress  was  halted  with  a 
suddenness  that  almost  jerked  out  what  little  breath  he 
had  left.  His  cartridge  belt  had  caught  on  a  rough, 
jagged  stone,  and  had  thus  arrested  his  fall. 

It  took  him  some  minutes  to  recover  his  wits  suffi- 
ciently to  discover  what  was  holding  him,  and  then  he 
was  afraid  to  move  for  fear  of  slipping  the  belt  off 
the  jagged  rock,  so  there  he  hung  suspended. 

Just  then  Ned,  who  had  shot  the  other  eagle,  looked 
over  the  edge,  expecting  to  see  a  bruised  and  mangled 
heap  of  himianity  at  the  bottom,  and  great  was  his 
amazement  to  see  his  friend  clinging  like  a  fly  to  the 
face  of  the  cliff.  He  could  not  see  what  was  holding 
him,  and  waited  breathless  for  a  moment,  expecting  to 
see  his  hold  loosen,  and  him  go  sliding  on  down  the 
mountain. 

But  as  he  still  held  on,  after  a  few  moments,  NeJ 
ventured  to  call  down,  and  ask  what  was  holding  him. 
Then  he  looked  around  a  little  more,  and  saw  that 
there  was  another  narrow  ledge  two  or  three  feet 
below,  where  Steve  was  clinging,  and  told  this  wel- 
come news  to  him,  for  with  his  face  to  the  cliff  he 
could  see  nothing  above  or  below. 

177 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

To  this  ledge  he  carefully  lowered  himself,  and  then 
began  to  try  and  find  the  extent  of  his  injuries.  Find- 
ing himself  all  intact,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
bruises,  and  notifying  Ned  to  that  effect,  they  then 
began  planning  a  way  of  getting  him  up  or  down. 

The  shelf  on  which  he  found  himself,  gradually  nar- 
rowed into  the  cliff  a  few  feet  on  either  side  of  where 
he  was  sitting,  and  as  they  decided  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  him  to  climb  either  up  or  down  with  safety, 
Ned  called  to  him  that  he  would  go  and  get  their 
lariats. 

Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  had  decided  not  to  accom- 
pany them  on  the  trip,  but  promised  to  watch  them 
through  field  glasses.  This  they  did  and  were  horri- 
fied and  helpless  witnesses  of  the  frightful  battle  be- 
tween the  men  and  the  eagles.  The  powerful  field 
glasses  seemingly  brought  the  combatants  within" 
stone's  throw  of  their  eyes,  and  when  Steve  fell  over 
the  cliff,  both  women  shrieked  and  dropped  the  glasses. 
They  soon  picked  them  up  again,  however,  and  focused 
them  on  a  dark-looking  object  which  appeared  to  be 
sticking  to  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

When  they  discovered  this  to  be  Steve,  and  saw  him 
lower  himself  to  the  ledge  and  Ned  start  away,  Marcia 
divining  their  purpose,  untied  the  ropes  from  their 
saddles  and  started  to  meet  Ned. 

She  reached  the  rocky  slide  all  out  of  breath,  about 
the  time  Ned  had  worked  himself  along  the  ledge  and 
climbed  down.  Again  he  essayed  the  hazardous  climb, 
greatly  hampered  by  the  ropes,  and  finally  arrived  at 
the  nest  again. 

Upon  tying  the  ropes  together,  he  found  they  were 
just  long  enough  to  reach  Steve  and  leave  enough  to 
fasten  around  the  base  of  the  tree,  so  as  to  make  a 
safe  anchorage.  Up  this  Steve  climbed  hand  over 
hand,  bracing  his  feet  against  the  rocks,  until  at  last 

178 


He  saw  a  young  grizzly  bear  about  half  way  up  the  tree   digging 
honey  out  of  a  hole  with  one  clumsy  forepaw. 


THE  EAGLE 

he  reached  the  top,  and  sat  down  for  a  much-needed 
rest. 

After  awhile  they  started  the  descent  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  reached  the  valley  without  further  mishap, 
where  Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  had  a  steaming  repast 
ready  for  them. 

They  went  over  and  over  their  adventure,  and  during 
a  lull  in  the  conversation  Miss  Parker  inquired : 

"What  became  of  the  eaglets?" 

"By  Gee !"  exclaimed  Ned.  "We  forgot  to  kill  them, 
and  they'll  have  to  starve," 

This  worried  Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  so  much  that 
Ned  decided  to  go  back  the  next  day  and  get  them,  but 
waited  until  after  noon  when  the  sun  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  mountain.  He  returned  about  simdown, 
much  scratched  and  clawed,  but  triumphant,  with  the 
two  eaglets  tied  up  in  a  bag. 

They  attached  a  cord  to  the  leg  of  each,  and  picketed 
them  to  a  tree,  feeding  them  with  scraps  of  game  that 
fell  to  their  rifles,  and  an  occasional  fish.  The  eaglets 
soon  became  used  to  their  strange  parents  who  came 
on  legs  instead  of  wide-spread  wings  and  croaked 
eagerly  for  food  every  time  they  approached. 


179 


XIV 

THEY  GO  BERRYING  AND  FIND  A  BEAR 

They  were  now  in  the  midst  of  Indian  summer 
There  had  been  a  little  cold  weather,  with  a  flurry  of 
snow  and  frost,  and  then  there  came  stealing  back, 
warm,  balmy  days,  which  were  fast  converting  the  for- 
est into  a  riot  of  color.  Rich  golds,  dark  browns  and 
brilliant  scarlets,  were  all  softened  and  harmonized  by 
the  green  foliage  of  hemlock  and  pines. 

The  place  where  they  had  their  camp  was  a  hunter's 
paradise.  Game  of  all  kinds  roamed  through  the 
woods,  and  they  hunted,  fished,  bathed  or  did  nothing 
as  their  fancy  dictated.  Only  now  and  then  did  Steve 
and  Ned  go  off  on  an  expedition  by  themselves. 
Marcia  could  endure  as  well  as  they,  any  hardship  that 
was  to  be  encountered,  and  Miss  Parker  pluckily  fol- 
lowed, although  at  first,  it  taxed  their  strength  to  the 
utmost.  Gradually  her  muscles  strengthened,  and  sun 
and  wind  converted  her  into  a  veritable  wood  nymph. 

With  her  for  his  constant  companion,  the  days  flew 
by  on  golden  wings,  and  Steve  lived  in  an  Elysian 
dream,  from  which  he  hoped  not  to  be  awakened.  As 
he  became  more  deeply  enamored,  he  ceased  making 
the  half-serious,  half -jesting  declarations  of  love,  with 

180 


THEY  GO  BEEEYING  AND  FIND  A  BEAR 

which  he  had  been  wont  to  staaiie  Miss  Paxloar  in  th« 
early  part  of  their  acquaintance. 

Often  as  he  reached  up  to  help  her  over  soomi  wind- 
fall or  boulder  that  obstructed  their  path,  there  would 
sweep  over  him  like  a  wave,  an  impulse  to  gather  her 
in  his  arms,  and  put  his  fate  to  the  test 

With  an  avowal  trembhng  on  his  lips,  he  would 
search  her  face  for  some  sign  of  self-consciousness  or 
confusion.  She  met  each  glance  with  an  air  of  cool 
unconcern,  and  that  sixth  sense  which  had  guided  him 
safely  through  so  many  vital  moments,  bade  him 
"Wait"  With  Spartan  courage,  he  restrained  the 
impulse,  and  turned  away  his  expressive  eyes,  which 
glowed  with  love  and  self-revelation. 

As  usual,  one  morning  while  they  were  eating  break- 
fast, the  question  came  up  as  to  what  they  should  do 
that  day,  and  first  one  thing  and  then  another  was  sug- 
gested until  Steve,  with  a  chuckle,  remarked : 

"Weil,  the  board  of  health  has  sent  me  the  last 
notice,  and  Fve  got  to  wash." 

"Wash!  Didn't  you  wash  before  you  set  down  to 
breakfast?  Don't  get  reckless,  man,  you  might  take 
cold,"  exclaimed  Ned. 

"I  mean,  wash  my  clothes.  You  brought  a  wash- 
board along,  didn't  you.'^" 

"Sure,  and  that's  a  right  good  idea.  Guess  well 
aU  wash," 

"What  will  you  do  for  a  tub  ?"  inquired  Miss  Parker. 

''Tub!"  answered  Ned  with  much  scorn.  "Don't 
you  suppose  there  was  any  washin'  done  before  tubs 
was  invented?  Come  on,  Steve,  let's  make  her  a  tub." 
Selecting  some  large  rocks,  they  rolled  them  into  the 
lake  on  the  shallow  beach,  and  stacked  them  up  to 
about  a  foot  below  the  surface  of  the  water. 

"There's  your  tub,"  said  Ned,  "Put  on  your  bathin 
90it  and  wade  in,"    And  this  they  did.    Each  doing  his 

181 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

or  her  own  washing  to  the  accompaniment  of  much 
jesting  and  laughter.  Soon  various  articles  of  wear- 
ing apparel  were  spread  on  the  grass  to  dry. 

When  they  had  all  finished,  Ned  looked  at  his  watch 
and  finding  that  it  was  only  ten  o'clock,  proposed : 

"111  tell  you  what  let's  do.  Let's  go  and  pick  some 
wild  raspberries?" 

"Raspberries,"  chorused  the  rest.  "Where  will  you 
find  raspberries  this  time  of  year?" 

"I  found  some  bushes  the  other  day  while  I  was 
lookin'  for  the  horses.  They  are  on  a  little  knoll  in 
the  center  of  a  swamp  on  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  sheltered  so  by  bushes  and  shrubs  that  the 
berries  were  only  just  beginning  to  turn.  They  ought 
to  be  ripe  by  now." 

Getting  a  bucket  they  eagerly  started,  and  as  the 
valley  was  on  a  level  with  their  camp,  they  went 
around  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  in  an  hour  or 
so  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  marsh.  Miss  Parker 
and  Steve  were  in  the  lead,  and  when  they  came  out  on 
the  edge  of  tlie  marsh  they  could  see  nothing  but  a 
thick  growth  of  shrubs  and  slender  saplings  through 
which  they  could  not  make  their  way. 

"How  are  we  going  to  reach  the  Island?"  inquired 
she. 

"There  must  be  a  path,  somewhere,"  said  Steve, 
looking  about. 

"Yes,  here  it  is.  Let's  follow  it  and  see  where  it 
leads." 

Miss  Parker  walked  ahead,  her  feet  making  no  sound 
as  she  stepped  lightly  over  the  soft,  feathery  moss  that 
carpeted  the  marsh  and  concealed  the  water,  which 
filled  each  depression  made  in  the  moss  as  they  lifted 
their  feet.  Presently  they  reached  the  island,  and  Miss 
Parker  stepped  out  upon  it,  then  with  a  low  exclama- 
tion, shrank  back  in  the  bushes. 

182 


THEY  GO  BERRYIIfQ  AND  FIND  A  BEAE 

Steve,  who  was  a  little  behind,  shouldered  forward, 
and  looked  about,  but  could  see  nothing  to  cause  alarm, 

"What  was  it?"  he  whispered. 

"Look  up  at  that  tree,"  said  the  girL  "What 
is  it?" 

Steve  looked  up  and  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a  big 
hairy  arm  and  hand  reaching  around  the  tree.  He  took 
a  step  to  one  side  for  a  better  view  and  saw  a  young 
grizzly  about  half  way  up  the  tree,  digging  honey  out 
of  a  hole  with  one  clumsy  forepaw,  while  he  held  on 
with  the  other  three. 

Bees  swarmed  all  about  him,  and  buried  themselves 
in  his  thick  fur,  making  such  a  noise  tliat  bruin  had  not 
heard  their  approach.  Steve  drew  his  revolver,  took 
careful  aim,  and  fired,  hitting  him  just  back  of  the 
ear. 

Instantly  the  bear  came  sliding  down,  scratching  and 
clawing.  Tearing  off  great  pieces  of  dried  bark  in  his 
descent,  and  lumbered  off,  shaking  his  head.  Soon  he 
disappeared  down  another  path  a  little  to  the  right.  He 
evidently  attributed  his  discomfiture  to  the  bees,  as  he 
never  looked  in  their  direction. 

Then  Steve  remembered  Ned  and  Marcia,  who  were 
a  little  behind,  and  shouted  to  them. 

"Look  out !  There  is  a  bear  comin'  down  the  path. 
Run  around  and  head  him  off." 

"All  right,"  shouted  Ned,  and  jimiped  behind  a  tree, 
just  as  the  bear  stuck  his  head  out  through  the  bushes. 
He  had  heard  them  shouting,  and  paused  for  a  moment 
to  reconnoiter  before  venturing  forth.  This  gave  Ned 
plenty  of  time  to  aim,  and  at  his  shot  the  bear  shrank 
backward  as  if  stimned,  and  the  bushes  closed  over 
him. 

There  were  a  few  convulsive  movements  of  the 
shrubs,  then  all  was  quiet,  and  they  were  in  doubt  as  to 
whether  he  was  dead  or  just  sulling,  waiting  for  an 

183 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

attack.  They  sent  several  more  shots  into  the  place 
where  they  saw  hitn  disappear,  and  then  cautiously 
approached  and  parting  tli^  bushes  found  him  stretched 
out  in  the  last  death  struggle. 

Then  Ned  and  Steve  danced  about,  venting  their  joy 
in  true  cowboy  abandon.  That  was  the  first  bear  that 
had  fallen  to  their  hands,  although  they  had  gone  out 
many  times  in  search  of  them. 

Dragging  it  back  across  the  marsh  they  drew  out 
their  long-bladed  hunting  knives,  and  started  skinning 
it,  while  Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  returned  to  get  the 
saddle  horses  to  carry  it  back  to  camp. 

When  they  had  the  bear  skinned,  and  the  hind 
quarters  swung  across  a  horse.  Miss  Parker  looked 
up  at  the  tree  and  observed : 

*T[  wish  we  had  some  of  that  honey.  It  must  be 
very  good  as  the  bear  was  so  absorbed  that  he  did  not 
hear  us. 

"Well,  we'll  just  get  some,'*  said  Ned.  "Where  is 
the  bucket  we  brought  for  the  berries  ?  We  will  have 
bear,  biscuits  and  honey  for  supper."  Taking  off  his 
muffler  he  tied  it  over  his  face  and  hat,  and  with  a 
boost  from  Steve  was  soon  up  the  tree.  While  he  was 
getting  the  honey  the  others  filled  Steve's  hat  with 
berries. 

When  they  reached  camp  about  sundown,  all  were 
ravenously  hungry,  as  they  had  had  nothing  to  eat, 
excepting  a  light  limch  which  Marcia  had  brought  back 
when  she  went  after  the  horses, 

Ned  set  the  dutch  oven  over  the  fire  to  heat  while 
he  was  making  biscuits.  Marcia  broiled  thick  slices 
of  steak,  while  Miss  Parker  made  the  coffee.  Supper 
was  ready  by  the  time  Steve  returned  from  looking 
after  the  horses,  and  with  appetites  that  would  do  it 
full  justice,  they  all  gathered  around  the  camp  fire 
aad  helped  themselves. 


rv 

^  THE  PROPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

A  few  days  later  they  decided  to  break  camp  and 
push  farther  up  into  the  mountains,  with  a  pack  train, 
leaving  the  wagon  behind.  They  shoved  it  back  among 
the  bushes,  and  packed  it  with  things  they  did  not  wish 
to  take  along,  feeling  no  compunction  at  leaving  it, 
as  they  had  found  no  signs  of  that  part  of  the  motm- 
tains  ever  having  been  traversed  by  human  foot  other 
than  their  own. 

Ned  started  to  pack  the  camp  outfit,  while  Steve 
hunted  up  the  horses.  When  they  came  he  looked 
puzzled  for  a  moment,  and  then  jocosely  inquired: 

"Say!  Which  would  you  all  rather  do,  starve  or 
freeze?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Miss  Parker.  'Tlave  we 
a  choice,  and  are  we  in  eminent  danger  of  doing 
either?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Ned  dubiously.  **Chackawana 
and  Jaunita  have  never  been  used  as  pack  animals 
before,  and  the  way  they  acted  on  the  trip  up  they 
might  go  over  a  cliff." 

"I  didn't  think  there  was  any  danger  of  them  going 
over.  It  looked  to  me  like  they  were  just  as  afraid 
of  doing  that  as  I  was,"  laughed  she. 

"Well,  that  is  just  the  point.  They  may  refuse  to 
cross  some  place  and  attempt  to  turn  aroimd  and  then 
go  over." 

I8S 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"If  that  is  the  case,  put  the  cooking  utensils  and 
food  on  them,  for  if  forced  to  do  it,  we  could  live 
on  game  and  fish,  but  if  there  should  come  a  storm  we 
would  freeze  pretty  quickly  without  any  bedding  or 
warm  clothes."  said  Marcia. 

And  this  they  decided  to  do.  Miss  Parker  brought 
out  all  the  pots  and  pans,  and  soon  there  was  quite  a 
varied  assortment  spread  around  Ned,  who  started  to 
pack  them  in  a  little  box. 

Noting  Miss  Parker's  amazement  at  the  size  of  the 
box  he  sent  her  off  to  help  Marcia  for  a  moment,  and 
then  dexterously  fitted  the  kettles  together,  one  in- 
side the  other,  and  put  them  in  the  box.  The  other 
utensils  were  wedged  in  around  these,  each  having 
its  own  particular  nitch,  and  every  inch  of  space  being 
utilized.  Next  came  the  dishes,  which  were  of  white 
enamel,  unbreakable  and  very  light.  Soon  all  were 
disposed  of,  and  when  Miss  Parker  returned  Ned 
could  not  make  her  believe  but  that  he  had  hidden 
part  of  them. 

However,  with  all  his  skill  there  was  a  little  tea- 
pot which  Marcia  insisted  upon  taking  along,  that 
could  not  be  fitted  in  the  box,  so  Ned  laid  it  on  top, 
thinking  he  would  tie  it  down.  When  the  pack  was 
strapped  on  Chackawana,  she  stood  sullenly  quiet  until 
the  rest  were  ready  and  started  off. 

At  the  first  step  the  pot  which  Ned  had  forgotten 
to  tie  rattled,  and  she  commenced  to  buck.  The  pack 
became  loosened  up,  and  other  articles  fell  out  one 
by  one.  As  each  one  hit  the  ground  it  seemed  to 
encourage  the  mule  to  greater  effort.  Soon  cooking 
utensils  were  scattered  in  every  direction,  and  looking 
them  over  ruefully,  Ned  called  to  Miss  Parker: 
"Say,  do  you  still  think  1  hid  any  of  'em?" 

This  meant  an  hour  or  two  delay,  while  they  changed 
the  packs,  as  they  decided  to  tie  their  three  beds  and 

186 


THE  PROPOSAL  0:N'  THE  SUMMIT 

extra  clothing  on  Chackawana  and  Jaunita,  as  they 
were  done  up  compactly  and  would  not  rattle.  Staid 
old  Mary  Jane  and  Maud  carried  the  tent  and  camp 
outfit, 

Marcia  and  Miss  Parker  took  the  lead,  while  Steve 
and  Ned  rode  behind  to  drive  the  mules  along.  Single 
file  they  wound  around  the  mountain  sides.  At  times 
following  well-marked  game  trails,  and  when  these 
dwindled  away,  or  went  in  a  different  direction  from 
which  they  wished  to  go,  Ned  or  Steve  rode  ahead  to 
pick  the  way. 

As  they  were  making  the  trip  simply  to  see  the 
coimtry,  they  only  hunted  or  fished  when  necessary  to 
replenish  their  larder.  This  was  not  difficult,  as  the 
game  having  been  so  little  hunted,  if  ever,  was  very 
tame. 

Often  as  the  pack  train  followed  the  tortuous  trail, 
a  buck  or  a  doe,  would  stand  temptingly  out  on  some 
high  point,  within  easy  range,  and  watch  them  out 
of  curious  eyes.  Tucked  away  behind  boulders  along 
the  edge  of  the  stream,  and  protected  from  the  swift 
current,  beautiful  speckled  trout  rested  lazily  on  the 
white  sands  of  the  bottom. 

Day  after  d'ty  slipped  by  in  swift  procession  as  they 
made  their  way  through  gloomy  forests,  camped  by 
placid  lakes  or  followed  the  course  of  some  stream. 
All  about  the  sombreness  was  relieved  by  the  splendor 
of  the  autumn  colors.  Here  and  there  great  splotches 
of  woodbine,  its  leaves  dyed  a  dark  crimson  by  the 
frost,  glowed  in  the  slanting  rays  of  the  sun,  giving 
the  mountains  the  appearance  of  having  been  stabbed 
by  some  giant  hand.  They  crossed  small  torrents 
which  dashed  swiftly  down  some  steep  incline  for  a 
pace,  only  to  disappear  under  ground,  and  burst  joy- 
ously forth  farther  down  the  mountain  side. 

Miss  Parker  awoke  each  morning  with  a  thrill  of 
187 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

romantic  anticipation,  and  lay  awake  long  hours  each 
night  listening  to  the  sounds  of  the  wilderness.  The 
wind  surged  through  the  tree-tops,  rising  and  falling 
like  the  waves  of  the  ocean,  often  wafting  to  her  the 
faint  murmur  of  some  distant  cataract.  Then  it  would 
die  away,  and  for  seconds  not  a  leaf  stirred,  when  sud- 
denly the  breathing  silence  would  be  broken.  A  pine 
cone  dropped  from  overhead,  a  rock  crashed  down  the 
side  of  a  cliff,  or  some  savage  beast  would  send  out 
a  ringing  call  to  its  mate. 

The  mountains  rose  stem  and  commanding  on  all 
sides,  and  after  a  time  it  seemed  to  Miss  Parker 
that  they  were  rebuking  their  lack  of  purpose,  and 
turning  to  her  companions,  she  inquired: 

"Where  are  we  going?  We  should  have  some  goal 
in  this  vast  wilderness.  That  tall  peak  opposite  seems 
to  beckon  me.  Why  not  have  it  for  our  objective 
point?" 

The  others  assented,  and  it  seemed  to  her  as  they 
slowly  climbed  upward,  that  before  her  spread  the 
parable  of  life. 

First  came  the  meadows,  with  their  sparkling  lakes 
and  bright  green  grass,  representing  youth,  with  its 
careless  flaunting  of  colors;  then  came  the  staid  and 
stately  pines  of  middle  life,  which  diminished  and  grew 
smaller  and  smaller  until  they  disappeared  entirely  at 
that  magic  place  which  marks  the  timber  line.  Heaven 
now  being  close  at  hand  the  peaks,  ever  looking  up- 
ward, are  dressed  in  sober  tones,  with  at  last  only  a 
snowy  shroud  between  them  and  the  shining  skies. 

To  the  left,  from  out  of  the  side  of  the  opposite 
mountain,  rose  sheer,  straight,  some  tall  spires  of  dark 
red  sandstone,  upon  which  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun 
played,  illuminating  some  points  and  throwing  others 
in  shadow,  causing  it  to  glow  like  a  mighty  ruby. 

''Seel"  exclaimed  she  to  Steve,  who  was  just  be- 
188 


THE  PROPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

hind  her.     "That  mass  of  rock  looks  like  some  old 
Feudal  castle.     I   should  not  be  at  all  surprised  if 
some  half -savage  horde  should  swoop  down  upon  us- 
and  take  us  captive." 

Just  then  her  horse  shrank  back,  and  with  a  terrified 
snort  stood  still.  Miss  Parker  looked  ahead,  and  then 
hastily  dismounted,  , 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Steve,  who  could  not 
see  the  path  in  front  on  account  of  her  horse. 

"There  is  a  deep  gorge  just  ahead,  with  no  way 
across,  except  over  a  narrow  ledge  of  rock,  and  my 
horse  refuses  to  go  over  it.    What  are  we  going  to  do  ?" 

"I'll  get  off  and  see,"  said  Steve.  Calling  to  Ned  tu 
halt  the  pack  train,  he  crept  around  Miss  Parker's 
horse  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  peered  down 
into  the  dark  cavern.  Far  below,  but  lost  in  shadow,  • 
a  violently  rushing  stream,  imprisoned  in  the  rocky 
channel,  sent  a  faint  gurgle  to  their  ears. 

Just  then  Ned  came  up,  and  Steve  inquired : 

"Do  you  suppose  we  can  get  the  horses  across  on 
that  little  bridge?" 

"Well,  well  have  to  try,  as  we  can't  turn  aroimd 
on  this  trail,  and  the  mountain  is  too  steep  to  take 
them  up  or  down.  It  is  goin'  to  be  a  ticklish  job, 
for  if  they  get  on  there  and  start  to  backin'  or  cuttin' 
up  they'll  go  over  sure.  Get  Miss  Parker  over  first, 
and  then  we'll  try  and  lead  her  horse  across." 

At  this  remark  Miss  Parker's  heart  sank,  and  she 
turned  pale,  but  with  a  look  of  resolution  took  hold 
of  Steve's  outstretched  hand  and  made  a  few  steps  ^ 
forward. 

'"Look  straight  ahead.  Don't  look  down,"  com- 
manded Ned,  but  the  advice  came  too  late.  Holding 
tightly  to  Steve's  hand  she  stood  swaying  drunkenly 
like  a  reed  blown  about  by  the  wind.  Ned  hurriedly 
stqpped  up  behind  and  steadied  her  while  they  helped 

189 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

her  back  to  the  bank.     Her  nerve  all  gone  she  sank 
limply  on  the  the  path  and  sobbed  out : 

"I  know  you  think  I  am  an  awful  fool,  but  I  can't 
go  over.  I  never  could  keep  my  balance  in  high  places. 
I  always  want  to  cast  myself  over." 

"Well,  rest  awhile  and  Til  carry  you,"  said  Steve, 
reassuringly.  "And  if  you'll  look  up  instead  of  down 
we'll  get  over  all  right." 

After  a  few  minutes  he  picked  her  up  and  started 
across,  and  when  Miss  Parker  felt  him  step  on  the 
ledge,  with  a  convulsive  movement,  she  clutched  him 
tightly  around  the  neck  and  shut  her  eyes. 

Now,  a  healthy  young  woman  is  no  light  load,  but 
looking  straight  ahead,  and  stepping  carefully,  Steve 
walked  across  the  ledge,  his  calmness  and  steadiness 
belied  by  his  throbbing  heart,  and  the  blood  which 
mounted  slowly  to  his  face  and  neck,  at  the  touch  of 
her  clinging  arms.  Reluctant  to  put  her  down,  he 
stood  holding  her  for  a  moment,  until  she  opened  her 
eyes  to  see  why  he  had  stopped,  and  realizing  that  they 
were  again  on  terra  ferma,  released  her  arms  from 
around  his  n^ck  and  sat  down. 

He  looked  down  at  her,  but  she  would  not  meet  his 
glance,  and  a  deep  flush  slowly  mantled  cheek  and 
brow.  At  this  sign  of  confusion  his  daring  returned, 
and  with  a  low  chuckle  he  bent  over  swiftly  and 
planted  a  kiss  on  her  red  lips,  and  whispered : 

"That  is  to  pay  for  your  passage  over."  Then  turn- 
ing quickly  he  went  back  on  the  other  side  to  hdp 
Ned  get  the  horses  across. 

Miss  Parker's  horse  absolutely  refused  to  make  a 
step  until  they  blindfolded  it,  and  then  Steve  went 
ahead  and  led  it.  When  it  reached  the  ledge  it  walked 
steadily,  but  trembled  at  the  hollow  sound  made  when 
his  feet  struck  the  rock  bridge, 

Mary  Jaae  and  Maud  followed  oae  behind  the  other, 
190 


■r             ,..                      ^ 

1 

■■''.                            "            N- 

The  mountains  rose  bare  and  rugged,  the  light  snow  having  been 
swept  into  the  hollows  by  the  chill  north  winds. 


THE  PEOPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

stepping  gingerly  and  rolling  their  eyes,  but  when 
Chackawana  saw  what  was  before  her,  she  attempted 
to  turn  around.  Ned  and  Marcia  shouted  to  her,  and 
tried  to  head  her  the  other  way,  but  with  a  quick  jump 
she  whirled,  missed  her  footing  and  went  tumbling 
headlong  down  the  mountain  side.  Over  and  over  she 
rolled,  bounding  from  one  rock  to  another,  until  fin- 
ally she  landed  plump  against  a  tree  and  lodged. 

Ned  looked  at  her  for  a  moment,  started  to  say 
something,  choked  it  back,  and  turning  around,  said : 

"Say,  Marcia  1  You  and  Miss  Parker  go  around  on 
the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  so  I  can  tell  this  mule 
what  I  think  of  her." 

After  that  they  took  no  more  chances,  and  blind- 
folded the  two  horses  and  Jaunita  before  attempting 
to  get  them  over.  Then  began  the  difficult  task  of  getting 
Chackawana  back  to  the  trail.  They  hrst  untied  her 
pack,  and  then  fastening  their  lariats  around  her  neck 
and  wrapping  the  other  end  around  a  tree  a  little 
higher  up,  took  up  the  slack  in  the  rope  as  she 
scrambled  up  the  almost  perpendicular  sides  until  she 
was  safe  on  the  path  again.  Then  they  blindfolded  and 
led  her  across,  and  then  carried  over  the  beds  and 
strapped  them  on  her  back  again. 

After  that  they  traveled  on  without  mishap,  but  after 
passing  the  timber  line  the  way  became  so  rough  that 
they  decided  to  stop  where  they  were,  and  not  attempt 
to  make  camp  on  the  top  as  they  had  first  intended. 
As  soon  as  they  had  the  tent  erected  and  had  gathered 
wood  and  made  a  fire,  Steve  suggested  that  they 
climb  to  the  top  in  order  to  get  a  view  from  the 
summit. 

"All  right,"  agreed  Ned.  "Come  on,  Marcia.*'  But 
at  a  knowing  flash  from  her,  he  stopped,  looked  at 
Miss  Parker  quizzically,  scratched  his  head,  and  then 
turned  back  to  camp,  saying: 

191 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

*'You  two  go  ovL  Marcia  is  too  tirecL  Well  go  up 
in  the  morning  and  see  the  sunrise/' 

The  way  was  rough,  and  as  they  toiled  upward  the 
air  grew  lighter,  and  surprisingly  pure.  Their  chests 
rose  and  fell  with  their  labored  breath,  and  a  feeling 
of  lightness  and  aloofness  came  over  them.  When  they 
paused  for  a  moment  to  rest  and  get  their  breath,  she 
remarked : 

"I  have  the  queerest  sensation.  I  have  a  mysterious 
feeling  of  leaving  all  things  behind,  and  that  it  is  our 
will  alone  that  holds  us  to  earth.  I  believe  if  we  let 
ourselves  go,  we  would  float  off  into  space  like  a  cloud. 
Do  you  feel  that  way  ?" 

"I  feel  a  little  dizzy.  It  is  the  high  altitude."  And 
reaching  out  he  took  her  hand,  which  was  resting  on 
the  rock  between  them,  saying: 

"I  guess  ril  keep  hold  of  you  after  this.  That 
suggestion  of  yours  about  disappearing  frightens  me." 
"I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger,"  laughed  she,  but 
not  removing  her  hand.  "If  I  had  a  long  trailing  robe 
I  might  try  it.  But  an  angel  in  a  short  skirt  and  high 
boots  would  look  rather  grotesque." 

As  he  held  her  hand,  Steve's  heart  began  to  pound, 
and  the  voice  that  had  hitherto  urged  him  to  wait, 
whispered  "Now !  Now !  Now !"  He  lent  toward  her, 
but  she  divining  what  was  coming,  arose  hastily,  say- 
ing: 

"Come  on,  we  must  reach  the  top.  I  shall  never  be 
content  until  I  have  seen  what  is  beyond.  There  seems 
to  be  a  voice  calling,  which  retreats  as  I  advance,  and 
will  only  deliver  its  message  from  the  topmost  peak." 

After  a  stiff  climb  they  reached  the  summit,  and 
hand  in  hand  stood  perfectly  still,  spellbound  at  the 
marvelous  view  spread  out  so  startingly  before  them. 
Straight  down  from  the  narrow  plateau  on  which 
192 


THE  PEOPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

they  stood  dropped  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountain  to 
a  cup-like  basin  of  varying  shades  of  green.  A  little 
lake  gleamed  like  a  mirror  in  the  center  of  the  emerald- 
green  bottom,  and  reflected  the  snow-capped  peaks 
which  surrounded  it,  looking  like  the  scalloped  edges 
of  a  cup.  On  all  sides  rose  numberless  peaks,  white 
and  uneven,  like  the  jagged  teeth  of  a  shark. 

The  girl  drew  a  deep  breath  that  was  almost  a  sob, 
and  unconsciously  stepped  perilously  near  the  edge  to 
get  a  better  view.  Steve  noted  it,  and  slipped  his  arm 
around  her  to  steady  her. 

A  light  wind  came  up  and  grew  more  chill  as  it 
gradually  increased  in  intensity,  but  so  absorbed  were 
they  both;  the  girl  with  the  scene  and  he  with  her, 
that  they  did  not  know  it. 

As  she  looked  it  seemed  to  her  that  the  voice  that 
had  urged  her  onward  was  stilled.  She  had  a  sense 
of  waiting  and  expectancy,  as  if  she  was  on  the  verge 
of  some  great  experience,  and  one  unguarded  word  or 
look  would  plunge  her  into  it. 

"Am  I  becoming  a  fatalist?"  thought  she.  "Or  have 
I  always  been  one.^*  Was  that  restless  longing  which 
has  always  possessed  me  but  the  call  of  fate,  luring 
me  on  to  fulfill  my  destiny?"  She  felt  the  stirring  of 
some  unknown  forces  within  her;  a  new  voice  which 
pulsed  in  her  heart  and  sought  an  answer. 

Then  suddenly  she  became  conscious  of  Steve's  arm 
holding  her  in  a  tender  clasp,  and  her  heart  whispered 
with  each  quickened  beat :  "The  answer  is  near.  The 
answer  is  near." 

Slowly  her  head  turned  as  if  drawn  by  some  invis- 
ible force.  Her  eyes  raised  and  met  Steve's  glowing 
in  the  bright  light  with  an  ecstacy  of  love.  Her  heart 
leapt  in  answer,  and  her  brown  eyes  flashed  back  its 
message.  He  stepped  back  away  from  the  edge,  and 
reached  out  his  arms,  and  she  swayed  toward  than, 

193 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

but  paused  midway  and  looked  past  him,  her  eyes  wid- 
ening with  terror. 

"Look  behind  you,"  she  breathed.  He  turned 
quickly  and  saw  bearing  down  upon  them  a  heavy, 
black  cloud.  Looking  about  for  a  place  of  refuge  he 
saw  a  large  boulder  to  their  left,  and  quick  as  thought 
caught  her  in  his  arms  and  half  carried  her  to  its 
shelter,  just  in  time  to  avoid  being  blown  over  the 
chff. 

The  wind  howled,  and  the  cloud  settled  round  them, 
depositing  fine  particles  of  snow  as  it  came,  until  they 
were  thickly  covered.  They  shook  it  off,  only  to  be 
covered  again.  It  did  not  seem  to  fall,  but  had  more 
the  appearance  of  growing. 

They  crouched  behind  the  boulder  shivering.  Steve 
clasped  her  tighter  in  his  arms,  their  lips  met,  and 
the  storm  was  forgotten. 

Presently  the  clouds  drifted  lower,  shutting  out  the 
world  below;  the  sun  warmed  them,  and  they  awoke 
as  from  a  trance  and  looked  about  and  at  each  other 
with  a  startled,  puzzled  expression  of  one  who  has 
seen  a  vision,  but  still  doubts. 

The  mountain  on  which  they  had  been  seated  when 
the  storm  commenced  had  disappeared,  and  in  its  stead 
was  a  glistening  island,  surrounded  by  a  billowy  sea 
of  gray  clouds.  Slowly  other  islands  appeared,  around 
which  the  clouds  surged  and  rolled,  sometimes  entirely 
submerging  them. 

Then  gradually  the  mountains  emerged,  seeming  to 
grow  upward  to  meet  the  sun.  All  their  ruggedness 
and  barrenness  had  vanished,  concealed  by  a  carpet 
of  snow,  which  caught  the  rays  of  the  evening  sun, 
and  reflected  lights  and  colors  in  startling  variety,  like 
some  mighty  prism. 

Q)ld  blues,  steel  grays,  bright  orange  and  crimson, 
but  all  were  devoid  of  warmth.     The  opposite  peak 

194 


TKE  PEOPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

rose  higher  and  higher  toward  the  sun,  and  at  last 
they  seemed  to  leap  toward  each  other  like  two  lovers 
long  separated,  saluted  with  a  lingering  kiss,  and  the 
sun  disappeared  behind  the  peak,  throwing  it  in  strik- 
ing relief  against  the  sky.  Dark  shadows  appeared, 
and  turning  they  could  see  the  camp  fire  glowing 
against  the  snow. 

At  last  the  girl  found  her  voice,  and  murmured : 

"We  have  been  above  the  clouds,  and  I  always 
thought  that  was  where  Heaven  was." 

"Well,  it  is,"  said  Steve,  with  conviction.  "At  least 
I  have  captured  an  angel  and  found  Heaven  in  her 
caress<'s,  and  bending  over  he  caught  her  in  a  long 
embrace,  and  so  they  sealed  their  betrothal. 

Coming  from  behind  the  boulder  they  climbed  down 
from  the  top  and  passed  at  once  into  twilight,  which 
deepened  into  night  as  they  made  their  v  ay  toward  the 
camp. 

Steve  with  all  the  tender  care  of  a  man  in  the  first 
flush  of  love  helped  her  over  each  obstruction,  almost 
carrying  her  in  places  where  the  snow  made  the  foot- 
ing insecure. 

As  they  neared  camp  Miss  Parker  cautioned : 

"Don't  say  anything  to  Ned  and  Marcia.  We  must 
not  tell  any  one  until  my  mother  knows." 

But  one  glance  at  their  radiant  faces  told  the  story, 
and  Ned  and  Marcia  expressed  their  satisfaction  in 
pantomime  behind  their  backs. 

The  next  morning  all  four  toiled  up  the  mountains 
to  see  the  sunrise,  and  when  they  reached  the  sum- 
mit stood  looking  off  over  a  sea  of  dark-gray  mist. 
Far  beyond  could  be  seen  the  first  rays  of  the  sun, 
painting  the  sky  a  rosy  hue  as  it  slowly  peeped  over 
the  mountains,  and  out  of  the  mist  rose  here  and  there 
the  tops  of  the  peaks,  chill  and  desolate,  like  islands 
out  of  a  winter  sea, 

195 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

The  sun  mounted  higher,  the  mist  dissolved,  and 
through  the  crisp  air  the  mountains  rose  bare  and 
rugged.  The  Hght  snow  had  been  swept  into  the 
hollows  by  the  chill  nortli  wind,  which  had  whistled 
and  moaned  through  their  tops  all  night  Ned  looked 
a  moment  and  then  remarked : 

"Say,  but  wouldn't  that  valley  be  a  great  place  for 
a  bunch  of  rustlers  to  make  a  camp.  It  is  entirely 
surrounded  by  mountains  and  has  plenty  of  water  and 
feed,  and  no  place  to  enter  but  that  low  pass  at  the 
south,"  Then  seeing  that  Steve  and  Miss  Parker  were 
so  absorbed  that  they  did  not  heed  him,  he  turned  to 
Marcia  and  observed  "I'm  afraid  winter  is  upon  us. 
We  had  better  break  camp  and  hit  the  trail  for 
home.  That  snow  yesterday  was  but  the  forerunner 
of  more  to  come/^  And  motioning  for  her  to  follow, 
they  returned  to  camp. 

Steve  saw  them  go,  and  reaching  out,  took  Miss 
Parker's  hand  and  drew  her  nearer,  and  side  by  side 
they  stood  entranced.  Deep  purple  shadows  hid  the 
valleys,  and  these  shaded  to  a  pale  violet  as  they  neared 
the  top  until  they  were  blended  and  lost  in  the  prim- 
rose glow  of  the  sun  reflected  on  the  snowy  crests. 

"How  wonderful,"  exclaimed  Miss  Parker,  breaking 
the  silence.  "It  makes  my  heart  ache  to  think  of  leav- 
ing.    Must  we  really  go  down  soon?" 

"Yes,  I  am  afraid  we  must.  We  might  get  caught 
in  a  storm  and  not  be  able  to  get  out."  Then  look- 
ing at  her  with  a  half  shy,  half  tender  glance,  he  sug- 
gested: "But  we  could  come  back  on  our  honey- 
moon." 

"How  splendid.  Surely  such  roseate  surrounding 
should  cast  a  glow  over  all  our  after-life,  and  we  could 
never  sink  to  the  sordid  bickering  in  which  I  have 
heard  so  many  people  indulge.  I  am  so  glad  you 
thought  of  it,  for  now  I  can  leave  without  regret" 

196 


THE  PROPOSAL  ON  THE  SUMMIT 

"Well,  that  is  settled/'  said  Steve,  with  a  happy  look. 
"Well  come  up  here  and  camp  all  next  summer." 
With  that  he  could  contain  himself  no  longer,  and  boy- 
ishly vented  his  joy  by  dancing  a  jig  on  the  mountain 
top. 

Then  he  stood  still  and  opened  his  arms,  waiting 
with  a  pleading  look  in  his  eyes.  It  seemed  to  be  his 
whim  to  make  her  come  to  him.  Slowly  she  ap- 
proached, he  strained  her  to  him  in  a  quick  embrace, 
and  was  about  to  press  a  kiss  upon  her  lips  when  she 
whispered : 

"Wait!  We  must  bid  good-bye  to  the  mountains 
first'; 

With  his  arms  still  about  her  they  looked  off  at  the 
innumerable  peaks,  which  stretched  back  on  all  sides 
from  where  they  stood  one  behind  the  other  until  they 
were  lost  beyond  the  horizon. 

Her  eyes  widened,  and  she  looked  long,  drinking 
in  the  view  as  a  thirsty  traveler,  setting  out  upon  a 
trip  across  the  desert,  would  drink  of  the  last  spring  of 
fresh  water.    After  a  time  she  whispered : 

"Farewell,  until  our  honeymoon." 

Steve's  heart  gave  a  bound,  he  pressed  his  lips  to 
hers,  murmuring:    "Until  our  honeymoon." 

When  they  reached  camp  they  found  Ned  and 
Marcia  bustling  about,  and  had  almost  everything 
ready.  Soon  they  tied  the  packs  on  the  mules  and 
started  down,  pausing  at  every  bend  in  the  trail  to 
look  back  at  the  peak,  which  reminded  them  of  the 
glory  that  had  come  to  them  on  its  summit 

As  they  descended  the  snow  disappeared,  and  so  they 
paused  a  day  or  so  to  give  the  horses  and  mules  a 
rest,  and  then  started  homeward. 

Now  and  then  Miss  Parker  would  have  a  feeling  of 
uneasiness  when  she  thought  of  her  mother,  and  what 
she  was  apt  to  think  of  her  engagement,  but  she  reso- 

197 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

lutely  shut  her  mind  to  anything  beyond  the  present, 
determined  to  live  to  the  full  this  romance  which  had 
so  fortimate  a  setting. 

As  they  journeyed  downward  she  and  Steve  rode 
ahead,  now  lost  in  silence  or  engrossed  with  each  other, 
and  Marcia  who  was  unwilling  to  be  an  unwelcome 
third,  took  to  riding  with  Ned  in  the  wagon,  but  they 
were  oblivious  to  the  change. 

However,  they  came  out  of  the  clouds  very  sud- 
denly when  they  arrived  at  the  Alton  Ranch,  for  there 
they  found  a  telegram  awaiting  them,  telling  her  that 
her  mother  was  very  ill  and  to  come  home  immediately. 

Packing  up  left  her  little  time  to  think  and  the  next 
morning  accompanied  by  Ned,  Marcia  and  Steve  she 
went  to  Denver  and  that  night  took  a  train  for  the 
East.  Out  in  the  vestibule  of  the  Pullman  she  said 
adieu  to  Steve  while  Ned  and  Marcia  discreetly  looked 
the  other  way.  With  her  heart  torn  between  love  and 
anxiety,  she  started  homeward. 

The  voice  that  had  beckoned  her  eagerly  onward 
was  stilled  and,  searching  her  heart,  she  wondered, 
"Was  it  the  West  that  called  me  or  love?'* 


198 


XVI 

SCHOOL  OPENS  AND  MISS  LITTLE 
RETURNS 

It  was  Saturday  morning  when  Steve  arrived  at  the 
Bar  Gee  Ranch,  after  returning  from  Denver,  and  he 
found  that  Blackie  was  away  on  the  beef  round-up 
which  had  started  a  week  before.  He  went  out  at 
once  in  search  of  horses  from  which  to  select  his 
string  of  saddle  horses,  and  was  up  early  next  morn- 
ing, making  preparation  to  start. 

He  had  his  horse  saddled  when  one  of  the  Colwell 
children  rode  up  and  delivered  a  message  from  his 
mother. 

^'1  came  over  to  tell  you  that  Miss  Little  is  coming 
out  to-day,  and  wants  somebody  to  meet  her.  Papa 
is  on  the  round-up  and  mamma  wants  to  know  if  you 
won't  go  after  her." 

"Well,  I  was  just  goin'  to  start  on  the  round-up 
myself.    Can't  you  get  somebody  else  to  go?" 

At  this  request  the  boy  looked  rather  surprised,  and 
he  gave  his  uncle  a  searching  glance. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  who  it  would  be,  besides,  what's 
the  matter  with  you  ?  Last  year  you  used  to  be  hunting 
chances  to  take  her  places,  and  now  you  are  tryin'  to 
miss  one."  And  then  with  an  impudent  wink,  he 
asked:    "Say,  how  far  is  it  to  New  York?" 

199 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

•*!  don't  know,"  answered  Steve.  "Youll  have  to 
ask  your  teacher." 

"Well,  get  her  out  here  then  and  111  ask  her." 

"All  right,  then,"  agreed  Steve  with  a  chuckle.  "Ill 
go  after  her.  But  I  won't  promise  I'll  bring  her.  She 
may  refuse  to  ride  home  with  me." 

"Ah!  go'wan.  She  used  to  like  to  travel  with  you 
well  enough  last  year.  And  besides  you  are  safe. 
She'll  either  have  to  ride  with  you  or  walk." 

While  he  was  tying  his  horse  at  Watkins,  several 
cow-punchers  came  galloping  up,  among  whom  were 
Blackie  and  Fred  Knox.  They  dismounted  in  front 
of  the  saloon,  threw  the  reins  over  their  horses'  heads 
and  letting  them  trail,  descended  in  a  body  into  Mike's 
saloon  for  refreshments.  Fred  Knox,  seeing  Steve, 
stopped  to  speak  to  him,  but  Blackie,  whom  he  had 
not  seen  since  his  return,  went  on  into  the  door,  pre- 
tending not  to  notice  him,  and  stopped  at  the  bar  close 
by  so  that  any  conversation  between  Fred  and  Steve 
was  readily  heard  by  him. 

"Hello,  old-timer.  Where  did  you  come  from? 
Thought  you  was  off  on  a  campin'  trip  with  Ned  and 
Marcia  and  a  certain  lady  from  New  York,"  said 
Fred. 

"Well,  I  was,  but  we  got  back  Wednesday,  and  I 
was  goin'  out  on  the  round-up,  but  had  to  come  up  to 
meet  Miss  Little,  v/ho  is  comin'  back  to-day.  Where 
are  you  all  workin'?"  And  Fred  noting  Blackie's 
tense  listening  attitude  through  the  open  door,  an- 
swered :  "We  are  cutting  out  over  at  Mohoney's  cor- 
rals." And  then  for  Blackie's  benefit,  added:  "I 
thought  that  deal  was  off  since  Miss  Parker  arrived." 

"Well,  she  went  home  Thursday,"  said  Steve,  with 
a  grin. 

"Humph!  Nothin'  like  havin'  them  comin'  and 
a-goin'  at  the  same  time.    You  sure  are  the  sport" 

200 


BCnOOL  OPENS— MISS  LITTLE  EETUEKS 

"Well,  it  looks  like  it.  But  you  can  take  it  from  me. 
There's  only  one,  and  she's  goin'." 

"You  think  so  now,  I  guess,"  drawled  Fred,  "But 
you  are  liable  to  change  your  mind  by  spring.  You 
know  'absence  makes  the  heart  grow  fonder — of  some- 
body else.'  And  New  York's  a  long  way  oif.  Come 
on  in  and  have  a  drink." 

"All  right,  but  we'll  have  to  hurry,  as  I  see  the 
train  comin'." 

He  hurried  to  the  depot  as  the  train  pulled  in,  fol- 
lowed by  Blackie  and  Fred.  Miss  Little  looking  out 
of  the  window  of  the  coach  was  surprised  to  see  them 
all  three  on  the  platform,  and  was  puzzled  to  determine 
which  one  had  come  to  meet  her,  but  seeing  that  all 
the  rest  but  Steve  wore  chaps,  she  decided  that  he 
must  be  the  one.  Now  all  summer  she  had  been  work- 
ing over  some  plan  whereby  she  could  bridge  the  gulf 
between  them  without  any  loss  of  dignity  herself. 
In  all  her  planning  she  had  not  counted  upon  his  be- 
ing at  the  station  to  meet  her,  but  like  a  good  general 
who  comes  suddenly  upon  the  enemy,  she  immediately 
readjusted  her  campaign. 

She  had  kept  posted  upon  how  matters  were  progress- 
ing between  him  and  Miss  Parker.  She  judged  that 
the  latter's  departure  for  New  York  would  end  that 
affair,  and  during  the  long  winter  months,  she  would 
have  the  field  all  to  herself.  She  loved  intrigue,  and 
planned  by  adroit  manoeuvering  to  bring  him  to  her 
feet  again,  but  now  she  was  a  little  at  loss  as  to  what 
manner  she  should  adopt  toward  him.  Slowly  she 
picked  up  her  bundles  and  went  out,  trying  to  deter- 
mine whether  she  should  act  as  though  s^he  had  a 
grievance  or  ignore  it  and  treat  him  with  friendly  in- 
difference.   She  finally  decided  on  the  latter  course. 

Now,  Watkins  is  a  mere  speck  on  the  landscape, 
being  composed  of  one  store,  one  hotel,  one  saloon  and 

201 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

the  depot  and  section  house.  It  is  not  possible  to 
miss  seeing  any  one  who  happens  to  be  in  town,  but 
when  Miss  Little  stepped  off  the  train,  she  stood  look- 
ing off  toward  the  hotel  for  a  moment  so  as  to  allow 
Steve  time  to  approach  and  make  the  first  advance. 
Then  with  well-feigned  look  of  surprise  she  acknowl- 
edged his  presence  with  a  light : 

"Oh,  here  you  are,"  giving  Fred  and  Blackie  the 
impression  that  she  knew  who  was  to  meet  her. 

Steve  took  her  grip  and  walked  with  her 
to  the  hotel.  While  he  was  getting  his  team, 
Blackie  approached  her  and  after  talking  a  moment, 
asked  her  to  go  with  him  to  the  next  dance,  and  she 
assented  just  as  Steve  drove  up.  As  they  went  along 
she  chatted  in  a  gay  impersonal  manner,  inquiring 
about  every  one,  with  friendly  interest,  even  asking 
with  unconcern  about  his  camping  trip,  until  Steve 
said  to  himself: 

"I  guess  I  overshot  the  mark  when  I  thought  she 
cared  about  my  not  taking  her  to  the  dance  the 
Fourth."  And  he  left  her  at  the  Colwell  Ranch  with 
the  exhilaration  a  man  always  feels  when  he  had  been 
pleasantly  entertained  by  a  pretty  woman. 

Miss  Little  congratulated  herself  upon  her  success, 
and  felt  no  misgivings  because  Steve  had  said  nothing 
about  a  future  meeting.  She  knew  she  would  be  sure 
to  see  him  at  a  dance  in  the  near  future,  as  Blackie 
would  take  her  to  any  that  came  along.  She  went  to 
sleep  that  night  chuckling  to  herself,  and  saying: 

"The  same  old  game  is  oa," 


202 


xvn 

THE  BEEF  ROUND-UP 

One  day  about  a  week  after  Steve  joined  the  rotind- 
tip,  Pere  Gardeau  drove  up,  and  with  him  was  Mr. 
Robinson,  the  stranger  whom  the  cowboys  had  met 
in  Denver  while  delivering  horses  in  the  spring. 

They  arrived  about  noon,  and  to  the  Easterner  the 
scene  was  fraught  with  intense  interest  In  order  to  be 
protected  against  the  wind  which  was  sweeping  across 
the  prairie  with  tremendous  force,  they  had  made 
their  camp  for  the  day  in  the  bend  of  the  creek,  which 
with  its  fringe  of  cotton  woods  in  their  auttrnm  foliage, 
made  an  immense  golden  horseshoe. 

Well  back  near  the  center  stood  the  mess  wagon, 
with  its  open  chuck  box  at  the  end,  and  nearby  over 
a  smoking  camp  fire  dinner  was  in  process  of  cook- 
ing. Soon  the  horsemen  began  to  arrive,  suddenly  ap- 
pearing on  top  of  the  opposite  hill  or  through  the 
trees.  Each  one  brought  in  a  bunch  of  cattle  which 
they  drove  over  to  the  general  herd,  and  left  them  in 
charge  of  two  or  three  cowboys. 

Then  the  hungry  men,  each  took  a  tin  plate  from 
the  mess  wagon  and  helped  himself  to  a  generous  sup- 
ply of  beef,  potatoes  and  beans,  and  selecting  one  of  the 
many  rolls  of  bedding  which  were  scattered  about, 
seated  himself  upon  it. 

When  they  were  through  eating,  and  the  horse- 
203 


STEVE  OF  THE  "~  G''  RANCH 

wrangler  had  driven  in  the  herd  of  saddle  horses,  each 
Qian  roped  and  saddled  a  fresh  mount  for  the  aiter- 
noon.  As  they  were  getting  ready  to  go  to  work,  Steve 
noting  the  wir^Jul  look  in  Robinson's  eyes,  asked  him 
if  he  w^ouid  li!ve  to  ride  out  with  them,  and  he  gladly 
assented. 

This  was  too  good  an  opportunity  to  lose.  Billie 
Johnson,  his  round  and  jovial  face  aglow  with  mis- 
chief, overheard  Steve's  inquiry,  and  he  and  Fred 
Knox  roped  a  horse  and  quickly  putting  a  saddle  on  it, 
led  it  up  to  Robinson  and  blandly  offered  it  to  him  for 
the  afternoon. 

Steve  suspected  what  they  were  up  to,  but  said  noth- 
ing, for  while  Robinson  was  free  from  many  of  the 
offensive  mannerisms  and  the  air  of  superiority  which 
most  Easterners  tactlessly  adopt  toward  the  cowboys, 
and  his  disregard  of  his  clothing  matched  their  own, 
still  he  would  have  to  take  his  share  of  the  baiting  and 
chaffing  which  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  tenderfoot. 

Robinson  gave  one  look  at  the  saddle  which  was  the 
ordinary  cowboy  style,  weighing  from  thirty  to  forty 
pounds,  and  covering  the  horse  almost  to  his  hips,  and 
exclaimed : 

"What!  Me  ride  that  thing!"  And  going  to  the 
buggy  in  which  he  had  come,  he  pulled  from  tmder- 
neath  the  seat  a  small  flat  saddle^  which  he  had  brought 
along  from  the  East  Then  cautiously  approaching  the 
horse,  he  started  to  remove  the  saddle  and  replace  it 
with  his  own. 

Pere  Gardeau  approached  and  said:  "Unless  you 
are  a  pretty  good  rider  you  had  better  leave  that  saddle 
on.  You  may  need  all  the  leather  there  is  on  it  before 
you  are  through."  Robinson  took  the  hint  and  desisted 

The  rest  waited  expectantly,  and  the  horse  as  if  di- 
vining that  he  was  the  center  of  interest,  bowed  hia 
back,  and  bucked  loyally.      But  much  to  everybody's 

204 


THE  BEEF  UOUND-UP 

surprise,  Robinson  did  not  fall  off,  but  stuck  faith- 
fully to  his  saddle,  through  all  the  twisting  and  turn- 
ing. When  at  last  the  broncho  gave  up  and  settled 
down,  Pere  Gardeau  who  had  stayed  to  see  the  fim, 
asked : 

"Well,  Robinson,  how  do  you  like  that  horse?" 
"Oh,  he's  all  right,"  answered  Robinson,  seriously. 
"But  don't  he  lope  awful  dahmed  high?" 

At  that  the  cowboys  whooped  and  howled,  and  Ned, 
seeing  Robinson's  puzzled  expression,  said : 

"Don't  mind  them.  You've  won  your  spurs  and 
from  now  on  you  are  one  of  us." 

As  they  started  off  Pere  Gardeau  called  after  them : 

"Here,  Steve,  is  a  letter  for  you.    I  almost  forgot  it." 

"Is  it  from  New  York?"  asked  Marcia,  coming  up. 

"Did  Miss  Parker  get  home  all  right,  and  how  is  her 

mother?     We  have  not  received  any  mail  since  we 

came  on  the  round-up." 

But  Steve  was  deeply  engrossed  in  this  first  letter 
from  his  lady,  and  did  not  answer.  At  that  Ira  gal- 
loped up,  and  made  a  grab  for  the  letter,  saying : 
"Here,  wake  up.  Marcia  asked  you  a  question." 
"Oh!  He  can't  hear  you,"  observed  Ned.  "He 
thinks  he  is  up  in  them  clouds  again."  Then  one  after 
another  dashed  up  trying  to  get  the  letter.  Steve's 
horse  seemingly  enjoying  this  game  of  tag  darted  about 
like  a  flash,  turning  this  way  and  that  and  doubling 
back,  miraculously  avoiding  the  treacherous  prairie 
dog  holes,  and  kicking  up  a  cloud  of  dust,  through 
which  came  their  shouting  and  laughter. 

They  kept  it  up  until  all  at  once  Steve  found  the 
way  clear  ahead  of  him,  and  dashed  off  at  full  speed 
for  the  herd  of  cattle.  When  the  rest  came  up,  Robin- 
son remarked : 

"That  gray  horse  seems  to  be  unusually  handy  and 
quick." 

205 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Yes,  he  is/'  agreed  Steve*  "And  he  is  intelligent, 
too.  He  will  go  in  a  bunch  of  cattle  and  cut  out  one 
and  run  it  off  without  my  ever  touching  the  reins." 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  show  me,"  said  Ned,  who  over- 
heard the  remark.  I'll  just  bet  you  even  money  that 
he  can't  do  it." 

"All  right,  ril  take  you.    Robinson  will  hold  stakes, 
and  see  fair  play." 

The  other  cowboys  formed  in  a  circle  around  the 
bunch  of  restless  cattle,  and  Steve  tying  his  reins 
together,  let  them  hang  loosely  over  his  horse's  neck, 
and  with  only  a  slight  pressure  of  his  knees  on  either 
side  guided  him  toward  the  herd.  Then  he  rode 
among  the  cattle  until  he  found  one  bearing  the  " — G" 
brand,  and  the  horse  in  some  occult  way  divining 
which  one  was  wanted,  singled  it  out  from  the  rest, 
and  gradually  worked  it  toward  the  edge.  When  it 
was  once  outside  the  horse  knew  well  enough  what  to 
do  with  it,  but  he  had  made  an  unfortunate  selection. 
He  had  cut  out  a  long-legged,  rangy  heiffer,  that 
bounded  off  like  an  antelope  and  went  in  every  direc- 
tion but  the  one  wanted,  dodging  and  doubling  back 
like  a  jack  rabbit  whenever  the  horse  came  too  near. 
Finally  he  had  it  headed  the  right  way,  and  ran  it  off 
to  a  bunch  of  beef  cattle  which  the  day  herder  held 
a  short  distance  away. 

Turning  he  trotted  back  toward  the  others  and  going 
up  in  front  of  Robinson,  stopped  still  and  struck  the 
ground  a  few  impatient  taps  with  his  front  feet 

"You  win,"  agreed  Ned.  "I  can  understand  his 
knowin'  what  to  do  with  the  cow  and  where  to  take 
it  to,  but  how  did  he  know  which  one  to  take?" 

"He  read  the  brand,"  answered  Steve,  with  a  grin. 
"I  told  you  he  was  intelligent" 

That  night  as  Steve  was  making  down  his  bed,  Rob- 
206 


THE  BEEP  EOUND-UP 

Inson  who  was  going  to  share  it  with  him,  approached 
and  asked: 

"Say,  how  much  is  a  horse  like  that  one  you  rode 
to-day  worth  out  here  ?" 

"Well,  as  cheap  as  horses  are  now,  you  can  get  all 
you  want  of  them  for  about  tliirty-five  dollars  apiece." 

"Well,  if  that  is  the  case,  I  see  where  I  recoup  the 
family  fortunes,"  said  Robinson. 

"How  is  that?" 

"Why,  these  cow  ponies  would  make  good  polo 
ponies,  and  they  bring  all  the  way  from  one  hundred 
to  a  thousand  dollars  apiece,  and  some  extra-fine  ones 
even  more.  The  horse  must  be  quick  and  handy,  and 
level-headed,  so  that  he  will  not  lose  his  head  when 
in  a  close  place.  That  gray  horse  you  rode  to-day 
would  make  a  splendid  polo  pony.  If  you  want  to  go 
in  with  me  w^e  can  buy  up  a  few  head  and  train  them 
this  winter,  having  them  ready  to  ship  East  in  time  for 
the  spring  games.  We  might  make  a  good  thing  out 
of  it,  if  we  can  get  the  horses  as  cheap  as  you  say." 

The  word  "East"  settled  the  matter  for  Steve.  "All 
right,  ril  go  you,"  agreed  he.  "As  soon  as  the  round- 
up is  over  we  can  start  picking  them  up  here  and 
there.  It  won't  take  long  to  get  several  car-loads  of 
pretty  well-bred  horses." 

At  last  the  round-up  wsts  about  over.  They  had 
worked  their  way  almost  to  the  Kansas  line,  and  the 
day  herd,  which  comprised  the  beef  steers  and  any  cat- 
tle which  had  strayed  off  their  natural  range,  had  been 
daily  increased  until  now  it  numbered  between  one 
and  two  thousand  head. 

These  w^ere  trailed  slowly  along  during  the  day,  like 
a  lot  of  soldiers  on  a  leisurely  march,  straggling  across 
the  country.  Three  or  four  cowboys,  whooping  and 
shouting,  directed  their  course,  preventing  them  from 

207 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

straying,  or  being  joined  by  cattle  off  the  range,  which 
did  not  belong  in  the  herd. 

The  rest  of  the  cowboys  worked  the  country  through 
which  they  were  passing,  cutting  out  beef  cattle  or 
strays  and  branding  the  season's  crop  of  calves.  All 
took  turns  night  herding,  working  in  four  shifts,  three 
at  a  time.  Steve,  Robinson  and  Billie  had  the  last 
guard,  which  commenced  about  half  past  two  and  con- 
tinued until  they  were  relieved  by  the  day  herders. 

It  was  always  the  darkest  part  of  the  night  when 
they  held  guard,  and  one  morning  as  they  went  on 
duty,  the  earth  as  usual  was  shrouded  in  the  thick  dusk 
which  precedes  the  dawn.  It  was  unusually  warm  for 
the  time  of  year,  and  they  rode  round  and  round  the 
sleeping  herd,  which  were  placidly  chewing  their  cuds 
and  sighing  in  well-filled  content. 

Steve  and  Billie  were  cheerily  whistling  or  singing 
to  assure  them  that  friends  were  guarding  their 
slumbers,  while  Robinson  was  jogging  along  half 
asleep  with  loose  rein,  trusting  to  the  well-trained  cow 
pony  to  keep  the  proper  distance  from  the  herd. 

Suddenly  the  horse  put  both  front  feet  in  a  prairie 
dog  hole  and  fell  over  ©n  his  side,  pitching  Robinson 
headlong  toward  the  cattle.  Instantly  a  cow  jumped 
up,  and  with  a  startled  bellow  attempted  to  vault  over 
the  one  next  to  it,  which  jumped  up  at  the  same  time. 
In  the  scramble  that  followed,  the  whole  herd  be- 
came frightened  and  rushed  away  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection from  camp,  sweeping  Steve  and  Billie  along 
with  it. 

Robinson,  much  dismayed,  got  up  and  finding 
neither  his  horse  or  himself  were  injured,  mounted  and 
started  in  pursuit,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  cowboys 
who  had  been  startled  from  their  morning  nap  by  the 
stampede. 

From  the  pounding  of  thousands  of  feet  on  the  hard 
308 


THE  BEEF  ROUND-UP 

earth,  there  arose  a  rumbling  as  of  distant  thunder,  and 
drowned  all  other  sounds,  but  two  quick  flashes  told 
that  Steve  and  Billic  were  unhurt  and  in  the  lead.  The 
others  drew  their  revolvers  and  fired  an  answering 
salute,  and  putting  their  horses  into  a  run,  passed  the 
herd  and  joined  the  two  in  front. 

For  awhile  they  did  not  attempt  to  turn  them,  but 
riding  to  the  right  or  left,  pointed  in  the  leaders  so  as 
to  keep  the  herd  from  splitting  or  scattering.  It  was 
mostly  composed  of  beef  steers  and  cows  with  calves 
following,  and  they  soon  began  to  slow  down,  and  the 
horsemen  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  in  the  lead. 

As  dawn  approached  they  could  see  that  the 
cattle  were  showing  signs  of  fatigue.  The  cowboys 
spread  out  along  one  side  and  quirting  the  leaders  and 
shooting  into  the  ground  close  to  their  ears,  gradually 
worked  them  around  to  the  left,  but  the  rest  refused 
to  follow,  and  ran  straight  ahead,  leaving  some  of  the 
men  on  each  side,  with  Robinson  and  Steve  galloping 
along  in  the  lead. 

Suddenly  they  came  to  a  deep  gully.  Steve's  horse 
took  it  at  a  flying  leap,  but  Robinson's  mount  missed 
his  footing  and  fell,  and  for  the  second  time  that 
night,  pitched  his  rider  over  his  head.  This  time  he 
fell  with  an  arm  crumpled  under  him.  It  snapped  like 
a  twig,  and  he  lay  in  the  path  of  the  oncoming  herd, 
groaning  with  pain.  The  pounding  of  their  feet  roused 
him  to  his  peril,  and  jumping  up,  found  that  his  horse 
had  bolted.  He  looked  wildly  about  for  a  moment,  and 
seeing  no  other  hope,  gathered  himself  together,  and 
sprinted  along  in  front,  shouting  to  Steve,  who  was 
some  distance  ahead. 

The  excited  cattle  seeing  a  man  on  foot,  began  to 
toss  their  heads  and  quickened  their  pace.  Steve  saw 
the  danger,  whirled  his  horse,  and  returned  straight  in 
the  face  of  the  bellowing  herd,    {le  swung  his  horse 

209 


STEVE  OF  THE  '^~  G"  RANCH 

around  Robinson,  and  reaching  down,  caught  hold 
of  the  sound  arm,  and  helped  him  to  swing  himself  on 
behind. 

The  leaders  of  the  herd  were  now  close  upon  them, 
Steve  dug  in  his  spurs  and  urged  his  horse  onward, 
but  hampered  by  the  double  burden  he  could  not  out- 
strip the  maddened  cattle.  Soon  horse  and  riders  were 
wedged  between  their  heaving  sides,  and  were  raked 
and  pricked  by  the  tossing  horns. 

Seeing  that  one  misstep  of  the  horse  would  plunge 
them  beneath  the  trampling  feet,  Steve  caught  hold 
of  the  horns  a  of  steer  that  was  puffing  alongside,  and 
swung  himself  onto  its  back,  then  turning  to  his 
startled  companion,  said: 

'You  get  over  into  the  saddle  and  let  the  horse  work 
his  way  to  the  front.  When  you  get  out  ride  like  the 
devil  until  you  get  out  of  the  way.'' 

"And  leave  you  here?  I  guess  not,"  objected  Rob- 
inson. 

"Oh,  I'm  in  no  danger  now.  The  boys  will  get 
the  cattle  to  milling  pretty  soon,  and  then  111  get  out. 
But  you  are  hurt  and  all  this  jolting  and  crowding 
ain't  doin'  you  any  good." 

Robinson  worked  his  way  out  as  Steve  advised. 
When  Ira  saw  him  and  found  out  where  Steve  was, 
he  took  Robinson's  horse,  which  one  of  the  boys  had 
caught,  and  rode  out  in  front  of  the  herd  opposite. 
Slowing  up,  he  let  the  cattle  crowd  around  him  and 
Steve  made  his  way  to  him  by  swinging  himself  from 
the  back  of  one  steer  to  another.  When  he  was  in 
the  saddle  they  took  advantage  of  an  opening  in  the 
ranks  nearest  them,  and  made  their  way  to  the  front. 

By  this  time  the  other  cowboys  had  gradually  swung 
the  cattle  round  until  they  had  them  rimning  in  a 
circle,  or  milling,  as  it  is  called. 

As  soon  as  they  had  the  cattle  quieted  down,  they 
210 


THE  BEEF  ROUND- UP 

bound  up  Robinson's  arm  as  best  they  could,  and  the 
first  ranch  they  came  to  Steve  borrowed  a  buggy  and 
took  him  to  the  nearest  doctor.  When  the  arm  was 
set  then  they  started  for  the  " — G"  Ranch, 


211 


xvni 

STEVE  GETS  A  LETT£;R 

When  Miss  Parker  reached  New  York  she  did  not 
at  once  tell  her  mother  of  her  engagement,  as  she  was 
too  ill  to  hear  anything  that  would  be  likely  to  disturb 
her,  but  as  she  talked  of  her  trip  and  the  name  "Steve" 
appeared  with  more  or  less  frequency  in  the  conversa- 
tion, the  shrewd  old  lady  by  judicious  questioning  soon 
found  out  how  matters  stood.  She  said  never  a  word 
of  objection  at  first,  but  asked  for  time  to  think  it  over 
before  expressing  an  opinion. 

Day  after  day,  while  confined  to  her  bed,  she  led 
the  girl  to  talk  of  her  trip  to  the  West,  and  particu- 
larly of  her  lover  and  his  people.  At  last  she  was 
able  to  be  tucked  in  her  wheel  chair,  and  when  it 
was  drawn  up  before  the  open  grate,  she  asked  her 
daughter  to  come  and  sit  on  the  stool  at  her  feet.  They 
sat  thus  for  a  long  time,  and  at  >  last  with  a  sigh  the 
old  lady  broke  the  silence  and  speaking  in  a  weak, 
reluctant  voice,  said : 

"Listen  to  me,  my  child.  You  know  I  love  you 
better  than  life  itself,  and  if  it  was  in  my  power  to 
make  this  beautiful  dream  of  yours  come  true,  I  would 
gladly  do  so.  But  should  I  give  my  consent  to  your 
marrying  this  man,  I  fear  it  would  only  serve  as  a  key 
to  unlock  for  you  the  gate  to  untold  misery. 

"It  is  not  the  man  I  am  objecting  to,  but  what  goes 
21? 


STEVE  GETS  A  LETTES 

with  him.  I  know  you  would  not  love  him  if  he  was 
not  all  that  a  man  should  be,  and  if  he  had  been  bom 
and  brought  up  in  the  same  enviroment  as  yourself, 
I  would  not  say  a  word,  as  then  you  would  stand  a 
chance  of  being  happy  together." 

She  paused  and  gazed  long  into  the  flames,  waiting 
for  her  daughter  to  speak,  and  then  as  she  did  not 
do  so,  continued: 

"Matrimony  is  not  as  easy  as  courting,  and  love  can 
not  take  the  place  of  everything  in  a  woman's  life. 
It  serves  for  a  time,  but  the  daily  grind  of  poverty, 
coupled  with  hard  work  and  uncongenial  surroundings, 
puts  a  great  strain  upon  it. 

"When  the  hardship  falls  equally  upon  both,  then  it 
often  brings  them  closer  together,  but  it  so  seldem 
does.  If  you  marry  and  go  out  there  to  live,  you  will 
be  giving  up  everything  that  has  gone  to  make  your 
life  happy  heretofore. 

"He  would  be  living  in  the  same  place  where  he 
was  born  and  brought  up,  with  all  his  friends  and 
relatives  around  him,  and  would  not  understand  that 
it  might  be  hard  for  you  to  adapt  yourself  to  your 
now  environment. 

"Adversity  and  hardship  often  chastens  people  and 
some  it  converts  into  saints,  but  I  do  not  believe  you 
are  one  of  those  people.  You  cannot  easily  adjust 
yourself  to  circumstances,  but  are  always  trying  to 
fit  your  surroundings  to  yourself,  and  if  you  could 
not  do  it,  then  you  would  be  utterly  wretched  and 
everybody  around  would  be  made  to  feel  it. 

"You  talk  about  being  poor,  my  child,  you  do  not 
know  what  poverty  means.  Your  idea  of  poverty  is 
to  have  all  the  money  you  want  to  spend. 

"My  dear,  give  up  this  idea.  You  are  young  and 
have  been  carried  away  by  the  romantic  wooing.  Take 
tim^  to  think  it  over  before  you  bind  yourself  irre- 

213 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

vocably,  I  will  never  give  my  consent  as  long  as 
I  live,  and  perhaps  by  the  time  I  die  you  will  think 
differently,  or  circumstances  may  have  changed." 

By  the  time  she  had  ceased  speaking,  the  girl  had 
pillowed  her  head  on  her  mother's  lap  and  was  weep- 
ing stormily.  Each  heartbroken  sob  was  an  agony  to 
the  sorrowing  old  lady,  who  stroked  the  soft  black 
hair  with  trembling  hand.  Gradually  the  girl  grew 
more  calm,  and  as  the  fire  died  down  in  the  grate,  leav- 
ing the  room  in  darkness,  she  arose  and  wheeled  the 
mother's  chair  into  her  room.  Then  when  she  had 
her  safely  tucked  in  her  bed,  she  stooped  and  kissed 
her,  saying : 

"Mother,  dear,  do  not  worry.  I  will  take  time  as 
you  say.  I  know  that  as  you  sit,  day  after  day,  tied 
helplessly  to  your  chair,  you  are  given  a  clearer  insight 
into  himian  affairs,  than  people  who  have  not  so  much 
time  to  think.  I  will  try  and  abide  by  your  decision. 
At  least  I  will  do  nothing  hurriedly. 

When  Steve  and  Mr.  Robinson  reached  the  " — G" 
Ranch,  Steve  at  once  inquired  about  letters,  and  found 
several  from  New  York.  These  he  read  and  finding 
that  it  was  mail-day  and  no  one  had  been  to  the  post 
-office,  he  saddled  a  horse  and  went  after  the  mail,  as 
he  judged  from  the  number  of  letters  he  had  received 
that  there  would  be  one  there  for  him. 

Instead  of  one,  he  received  two  bearing  the  New 
York  post-marlc  One  in  the  now  familiar  writing 
of  his  sweetheart,  and  the  other  in  a  faltering,  shaky 
hand.  Much  puzzled  he  put  the  latter  aside,  and 
hastily  opened  the  other,  and  went  closer  to  the  dim 
smoky  lamp  to  read  it. 

My   lover:     You   know   I    wrote  you   that   when    1 

told  my  mother  of  our  love,  she  asked  for  time  in  which 

to  consider  it  before  she  gave  her  decision. 

214 


STEVE  GETS  A  LETTER 

Well,  last  night  she  told  me,  and  oh,  my  dear,  she 
does  not  consent.  She  is  writing  you  herself,  stating 
her  reasons,  so  I  need  not  go  into  the  heart-breaking 
details. 

Whether  her  ideas  are  right  or  not,  they  will  serve 
as  long  as  she  holds  them  and,  I  fear,  keep  us  apart, 
for  as  I  told  you  long  ago,  I  am  all  she  has  and  I 
could  not  desert  her  in  her  old  age  and  helplessness. 
I  should  have  known  better  than  to  bid  you  hope,  but, 
as  she  says,  "I  was  carried  away  by  the  romantic  woo- 
ing and  surroundings,"  and  forgot  all  about  the  barrier 
that  stood  between  us,  for  even  if  she  was  willing,  I 
well  know  that  a  ranch  is  no  place  for  the  old  or 
infirm. 

The  life  is  strenuous,  and  calls  for  men  and  women 
of  splendid  untried  youth  and  courage.  So,  between 
love  and  duty  our  dream  ends.  It  was  foredoomed 
from  the  start,  and  as  I  look  ahead  I  see  no  hope,  un- 
less you  can  find  a  ray  with  your  clearer  vision. 

And  now  no  more  for  this  time.     It  is  needless  to 
say  that  I   shall  continue  to  write  to  you,  and  your 
letters  will  be  my  dearest  consolation. 
Yours,  as  ever, 

ELOISE. 
As  Steve  read  the  letter  a  tense,  drawn  look  came 
into  his  face,  and  as  one  resolved  to  learn  the  worst 
and  get  it  over  with,  he  tore  open  the  mother's  letter, 
which  was  more  or  less  a  repetition  of  :he  talk  she  had 
with  her  daughter  a  few  evenings  before. 

When  he  had  read  it  he  walked  out  to  his  horse  like 
one  in  a  daze,  forgetting  to  say  good-night  to  the 
.others  who  had  come  for  their  mail,  one  of  whom 
remarked  as  he  went  out: 
"Old  Steve  looks  like  he's  had  a  knockout  blow." 
He  rode  swiftly  homeward,  little  heeding  where  he 
went.     Darkness  hid  the  familiar  scene,  and  his  soul 

215 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

was  wrapped  in  an  oblivion  no  less  profound.  Once 
he  straightened  himself  in  the  saddle,  bared  his  head 
to  the  cool  breeze,  and  gazed  up  at  the  stars  as  if 
in  mute  appeal. 

His  heart  was  filled  with  love  and  longing  and  in  his 
extremity,  the  twinkling  stars  seemed  to  mock  him. 
While  he  looked  up  at  them  the  cloud  that  obscured 
the  moon  shifted  slightly,  so  changing  its  appearance 
and  accentuating  its  shadows  until  there  seemed  to  be 
a  round  and  jovial  face  grinning  down  at  him. 

"I  don't  blame  you  for  laughin*,  old  boy,"  said  Steve. 
"You  and  them  stars  have  seen  some  mighty  curious 
things,  while  you  have  been  watchin'  this  old  earth,  but 
I  guess  the  queerest  of  all  is  the  way  a  man  nowadays 
lets  some  slip  of  a  girl  deal  him  miser}^ 

"Now,  that  cave  man  I  read  about  the  other  day 
could  give  us  cards  and  spades.  He  simply  cut 
a  likely  lookin'  fillie  out  of  the  herd,  and  if  she  was 
skittish  and  not  halter  broke,  he  would  walk  up  to 
her  kind  of  casual  like,  all  the  time  talkin',  soothin', 
holdin'  in  one  hand  a  necklace  made  of  bear's  claws, 
or  a  bright  feather,  or  something  to  attract  her  atten- 
tion, from  the  club  he  was  holdin'  behind  his  back  in 
the  other  hand. 

"When  he  got  close  enough  he  swung  the  club 
around  quick  and  tapped  her  on>  the  head,  and  when 
she  had  quit  kickin'  tucked  her  under  his  arm,  and 
carried  her  off  to  his  cave. 

"But,  me,  I  can't  do  that  Us  cow-punchers  are 
supposed  to  be  half  way  civilized  anyhow.  So  Til 
have  to  take  my  medicine  and  grin  as  though  I  liked 
it.  But  I'll  tell  you,  old  pal,  I'd  like  to  be  a  cave  man 
for  a  day.    He  sure  was  the  wise  old  guy." 

That  night  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  Steve  knew 
what  it  was  to  suffer  from  insomnia.    He  tossed  about, 
216 


STEVE  GETS  A  LETTEE 

going  over  again  and  again  the  different  passages  of 
her  letter,  which  were  stamped  upon  his  brain  as 
though  they  had  been  written  with  fire.  Against  the 
slender  hope  of  her  continued  letters,  he  balanced  the 
suggestion  that  she  had  been  carried  away  by  the  ro- 
mantic wooing  and  surroundings,  which  he  supposed 
referred  to  their  betrothal  on  the  simimit,  and  groaned 
aloud  as  he  recalled  her  clinging  arms  and  sweet 
kisses. 

If  it  was  only  some  man  that  had  come  between 
them,  he  thought,  fiercly,  how  he  would  delight  to 
punch  his  head.  But  how  could  he  urge  her  to  op- 
pose the  wishes  of  her  mother,  who  had  the  double 
appeal  of  being  old  and  a  helpless  invalid,  for  whom 
it  was  her  manifest  duty  to  care. 

Then  through  his  despair,  came  the  remembrance 
of  Robinson  and  his  remark  about  buying  polo  ponies, 
and  the  probable  financial  gains  therefrom.  This  re- 
called a  clause  in  the  old  lady's  letter,  and  jumping  out 
of  bed,  he  lit  the  lamp  and  searched  through  its  pages 
until  he  found  the  one  he  wanted. 

"I  have  told  my  daughter  that  I  should  never  give 
my  consent  while  I  lived,  and  by  that  time  you  both 
might  have  changed  your  minds,  or  your  circumstances 
might  have  changed." 

"What  does  she  mean  by  that?"  mused  he  to  him- 
self, as  he  climbed  back  into  bed.  "Does  she  mean 
she  might  give  her  consent  if  I  was  working  at  some- 
thing else.  If  that  is  the  case,  1*11  see  that  I  do." 
And  with  that  slight  consolation  he  went  to  sleep. 

Immediately  upon  awaking  the  next  morning,  he 
sought  out  Robinson  and  sounded  him  on  the  subject 
of  buying  polo  ponies,  and  finding  him  still  enthus- 
iastic, went  out  and  rounded-up  all  the  " — G"  horses 
he  could  find,  and  tried  them  out,  while  Robinson  sat 
upon  a  wagon  and  watched. 

217 


^  XIX 

MISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

**Men  have  died  and  worms  have  eaten  them,  but 
not  from  love."  Robinson  with  his  plan  for  buying 
and  training  cow-horses  into  polo  ponies  was  a  wel- 
come diversion  for  Steve.  As  they  drove  about  from 
one  neighbor  to  another,  his  inward  discontent  vented 
itself  and  found  surcease  in  driving  sharp  bargains, 
and  for  the  time,  at  least,  he  was  almost  happy.  But 
now  and  then  as  they  drove  along,  he  would  lapse  into 
silence  almost  saturnine  and,  Robinson,  wondering,  re- 
spected his  mood. 

However,  when  at  the  ranch,  he  had  no  chance  to 
be  melancholy.  Thanksgiving  was  to  be  a  family  re- 
union, and  a  few  days  before  his  sisters  who  were  in 
Denver  going  to  school,  came  home,  bringing  with 
them  several  girl  friends.  With  their  arrival,  the 
program  of  the  evening  was  changed.  The  boys,  in- 
stead of  trooping  out  to  the  bunk  house  as  soon  as 
supper  was  over,  to  play  poker  and  tell  stories,  now 
joined  the  fun  in  the  house,  in  all  of  which  Pere  and 
Mere  Gardeau,  heartily  co-operated.  The  day  before 
Thanksgiving  the  married  daughter,  who  lived  at  a 
distance,  arrived  with  her  husband  and  children,  and 
Robinson,  used  to  the  circumscribed  hospitality  of  the 
Cities,  marveled  at  the  Western  liberality,  and  the 

218 


MISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

seemingly  unlimited  capacity  of  the  Gardeau  home. 
Like  the  fabled  omnibus  'there  was  always  room  for 
one  more/ 

Through  all  the  bustle  and  confusion,  the  prepara- 
tions for  the  feast  the  following  day  went  steadily  on- 
ward. Each  new  arrival  as  soon  as  the  greetings  were 
over,  donned  a  big  gingham  apron,  and  joined  the 
others  in  the  roomy  kitchen,  where  they  stirred  and 
mixed  with  unabated  precision,  while  they  exchanged 
family  reminiscences. 

Thanksgiving  morning  dawned  with  an  ominous 
prophesy  of  storm.  Thick  fog  shrouded  the  hills,  and 
enveloped  the  countenances  of  the  young  people  in  a 
gloom  no  less  profound.  They  had  planned  a  dance 
for  the  evening,  as  a  wind-up  to  the  day's  festivities, 
and  loud  were  their  lamentations  over  the  prospect 
of  being  disappointed. 

However,  as  the  morning  advanced,  it  began  to  look 
as  though  they  would  have  a  crowd  no  matter  what  the 
weather.  One  by  one  dim  shapes  began  to  appear 
through  the  mist,  and  took  the  form  of  galloping 
horsemen  as  they  drew  nearer.  They  came  singly, 
or  in  groups  of  twos  or  threes.  Lithe,  sinewy  fellows. 
Their  tanned  faces  glistening  from  the  recent  applica- 
tion of  razor  and  soap. 

Each  man  as  he  awoke  that  morning,  had  sized  up 
the  prospects  of  the  weather  with  the  eye  of  a  prophet 
who  doubts,  but  who  does  not  intend  to  take  any 
chances,  and  after  bolting  a  hasty  breakfast,  saddled 
up  his  horse  and  set  forth  on  his  journey  toward  the 
" — G"  Ranch.  They  lost  no  time  on  the  way,  lest  the 
blizzard  of  which  the  fog  was  a  forerunner,  start,  and 
prevent  their  reaching  their  destination. 

Flint  expressed  the  sentiment  of  the  rest,  when  he 
called  to  Steve : 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  lend  me  your  razor. 
219 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

I  was  so  afarid  it'd  storm  so  I  couldn't  get  here,  that 
I  didn't  take  time  to  shave." 

"Pshaw!"  exclaimed  Ira,  who  was  standing  near. 
"It'd  shore  have  to  be  a  pretty  hard  blizzard  that 
would  keep  me  away,  with  all  these  girls  here,  and  the 
chance  of  gettin*  one  of  Mere  Gardeau's  famous  din- 
ners thrown  in,  but  it  won't  have  to  storm  very  hard  to 
keep  me  from  goin'  home." 

Presently  the  sun,  as  if  unwilling  to  share  the  op- 
probrium of  spoiling  the  day,  struggled  through  and 
dispelled  the  mist,  revealing  dark,  overhanging  clouds 
mantling  the  sky  to  the  north. 

The  Col  wells  drove  up  just  in  time  for  dinner, 
and  with  them  was  Miss  Little,  who  for  reasons  of 
her  own  wished  to  spend  the  vacation  in  the  country, 
but  with  characteristic  plausibility  and  disregard  for 
truth,  had  excused  herself  to  her  mother  with  the 
statement  that  the  school  board  had  decided  not  to 
give  any  holiday. 

The  dining  table  was  opened  out  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent and  more  leaves  added  and,  that  not  sufficing,  was 
supplemented  by  a  smaller  one  from  the  kitchen.  The 
whole,  covered  with  a  snowy  cloth,  stood  groaning 
under  the  weight  of  the  Thanksgiving  dinner.  An  im- 
mense turkey  graced  either  end,  as  it  was  not  com- 
patible with  the  Gardeau  courtesy  to  make  the  hungry 
guests  wait  tmtil  one  person  could  carve  enough  for 
them  all. 

They  were  all  standing  behind  their  chairs  waiting 
to  be  seated  when  Robinson  appeared  with  a  bottle  of 
champagne.  He  had  learned  that  the  Gardeau's  fol- 
lowed the  French  custom  of  serving  wine  at  meals, 
and  wishing  to  make  some  return  for  the  care  and 
many  kindnesses  Mere  Gardeau  had  showered  upon 
him,  had  sent  to  Denver  and  ordered  a  case  of  the 
sparkling  beverage,  which  had  only  just  arrived 

220 


MISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

While  they  were  pouring  it,  Miss  Little  watched 
them  with  a  puzzled,  intent  expression  on  her  face, 
as  if  searching  for  an  idea  which  all  the  time  eluded 
her.  Robinson,  who  happened  to  glance  at  her,  won- 
dered at  the  sudden  flash  of  relief  and  cunning  that 
spread  over  her  face  for  an  instant,  as  the  last  glass 
was  llled. 

Miss  Little  had  more  brains  than  she  let  appear  to 
the  casual  observer.  This  cleverness,  coupled  with 
the  subtle  allure  of  sex  which  she  possessed  in  a  re- 
markable degree  and  her  undoubted  prettiness  had 
enabled  her  to  make  easy  conquests  of  the  boyish 
hearts  in  her  crowd  at  high  school.  From  this  she 
evolved  the  philosophy  'that  no  man  was  hard  to  get. 
If  a  clever  woman  wanted  him.' 

She  reasoned  that  it  was  her  tactlessness  alone  that 
had  kept  Steve  from  proposing  when  they  were  snow- 
bound at  the  sheep  camp  the  spring  before,  and  now 
with  propinquity  to  help  her,  she  anticipated  little 
difficulty  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  she  had  heard  rumors 
of  an  engagement  between  him  and  Miss  Parker. 

No  one  knew  better  than  she  how  delicate  were  the 
gossamer  threads  that  bound  two  loving  hearts  to- 
gether, and  how  easy  they  were  to  break.  She  had 
thought  long  and  hard,  trying  to  evolve  some  ingeni-. 
ous  ruse  to  entrap  Steve,  but  until  the  flash  of  inspira- 
tion at  sight  of  the  champagne,  the  only  result  had 
been  a  few  puckers  between  her  eyes,  and  the  loss  of 
several  hours  of  beauty  sleep. 

The  champagne  stood  by  her  plate  bubbling  and 
eflPervescing,  and  save  to  twirl  the  slender  stem  of  the 
glass  between  her  fingers  once  or  twice,  she  never 
touched  it.  However,  this  served  to  attract  the  at- 
tention of  Pere  Gardeau  to  her  abstinence,  and  through 
him  the  rest  of  the  table,  which  was  what  she  desired. 
He  inquired: 

221 


STEVE  OF  THE  ''—  G''  RANCH 

"Why  don't  you  drink  your  champagne,  it  is  get- 
tin'  stale?" 

"I  do  not  care  for  it,"  answered  she  demurely. 

"Perhaps  you  would  rather  have  some  of  the 
punch?"  suggested  Mere  Gardeau.  And  calling  one 
of  her  daughters,  she  requested  her  to  replace  the 
champagne  with  a  glass  of  punch,  but  to  this  Miss 
Little  objected  also,  although  they  assured  her  it  was 
only  composed  of  the  juices  of  fruits. 

Presently  tiny  particles  of  snow  began  drifting 
slowly  past  the  window,  each  one  glistening  in  the  sun- 
light like  a  beautiful  crystal.  Before  dinner  was 
over  the  wind  came  sweeping  down  from  the  north 
with  a  roar,  and  the  threatened  blizzard  was  in 
progress.  Everybody  hovered  around  the  stoves,  as 
they  could  not  go  out  to  the  corrals  and  have  a  buck- 
ing contest  as  was  the  usual  case  when  a  lot  of  cow- 
boys got  together. 

However,  nobody  was  dull.  All  kinds  of  games 
were  soon  in  progress,  and  now  and  then  somebody 
would  pass  refreshments  in  the  way  of  champagne, 
cake,  candy  and  nuts,  while  the  bowl  of  punch  sat  on  a 
nearby  table  where  all  could  help  themselves.  Pres- 
ently one  of  the  boys  hunted  up  a  mouth  harp. 
Shoving  the  tables  back  out  of  the  way,  and  taking 
up  the  rug,  they  soon  had  a  dapce  in  progress  in  the 
large  dining  room. 

Throughout  it  all  Miss  Little  had  steadfastly  re- 
fused to  partake  of  the  punch,  and  with  young  folks 
in  a  merry  mood,  anything  will  do  for  a  joke,  so  they 
dubbed  her  the  "Teetotler." 

Along  about  six  o'clock  the  wind  died  down,  and 
the  snow  stopped.  The  clouds  drifted  away,  leaving 
the  sky  clear,  and  as  the  moon  rose,  vehicles  began 
to  arrive,  their  tires  squeeking  musically  through  th^ 
dry  snow. 

222 


MISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

Long  ago,  with  each  ranch  overrun  with  young 
people,  they  had  felt  the  need  of  a  place  to  hold  their 
weekly  dances,  so  a  number  of  the  neighbors  contrib- 
uted enough  money  to  erect  a  hall.  Fere  Gardeau 
generously  gave  them  a  site  down  in  the  trees  near  the 
creek,  and  it  was  there  that  the  dance  was  to  be  held 
that  night. 

Miss  Little  having  learned  wisdom  from  her  former 
experiences  the  winter  before,  had  brought  along  a 
dress  of  soft,  white,  non-crushable  material,  which 
clung  to  her  figure  bringing  out  every  alluring  curve, 
and  when  she  reached  the  dance  was  easily  the  pret- 
tiest and  best-dressed  girl  there. 

Steve  had  not  thought  of  her  after  leaving  her  at 
the  Colwell  Ranch  at  the  opening  of  school.  He  had 
been  engrossed  with  the  occasional  letters  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Miss  Parker  while  on  the  round-up,  and 
his  allegiance  never  wavered.  Since  he  had  returned 
he  had  been  too  hurt  and  grieved  over  the  toppling  of 
his  bright  castle  of  dreams  to  think  of  anything  else, 
when  he  allowed  himself  to  think  at  all.  That  was 
what  he  strove  to  do  to  keep  from  thinking,  and 
toward  that  end,  with  the  champagne  handy,  he  had 
been  doing  what  a  great  many  people  call  "drowning 
their  sorrows."  However,  he  possessed  one  trait 
which  many  people  consider  the  first  requisite  of  a 
gentleman.  He  could  drink  without  showing  any  ill 
effects,  and  save  for  a  little  unusual  hilarity,  there 
was  nothing  in  his  behavior  that  would  indicate  that 
there  was  anything  amiss. 

All  afternoon  he  had  not  been  especially  conscious 
of  Miss  Little's  presence,  but  now  as  she  slipped  out 
of  her  long  thick  coat,  like  a  bright  moth  emerging 
from  its  cocoon,  Steve,  who  was  assisting  her,  felt  steal 
over  him  like  a  wave  the  subtle  attraction,  which  she 

223 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

seemed  to  radiate.    He  stepped  forward  involuntarily, 
and  she  noting  it,  blushed  warmly. 

During  the  evening  she  was  eagerly  claimed  by  one 
partner  after  another,  and  toward  all  but  Steve  she 
maintained  an  air  of  mischievous  coquetry.  To  him 
alone,  she  showed  a  softening  of  manner  which  was 
the  most  delicate  flattery,  and  he  left  her  after  each 
dance  with  a  quickened  pulse  and  a  delicious  ex- 
pectancy, which  hastened  his  return  to  ask  her  for 
another. 

He  claimed  her  for  the  midnight  supper,  and  when 
the  punch  was  passed  and  she  still  refused,  they  all 
began  rallying  her  on  her  teetotalism  again.  This  was 
the  opening  for  which  she  was  looking,  and  in  an 
undertone  she  began  explaining  to  Steve  the  reason 
for  her  eccentricity. 

"I  hope  you  will  not  think  me  a  prude,"  said  she, 
with  an  appealing  inflection  in  her  voice.  "But  the 
last  year  in  high  school  each  girl  as  she  graduated 
made  a  vow  to  accomplish  some  good.  As  one  of  the 
g^irls  had  a  brother  who  was  a  drunkard,  through  her 
influence  we  all  vowed  to  discourage  all  use  of  intox- 
icating liquors,  and  by  all  means  never  to  touch  it  our- 
selves. So  that  is  why  I  refused  to  taste  the  cham- 
pagne to-day,  and  as  I  saw  one  of  your  brothers  pour 
some  brandy  in  the  punch  when  he  thought  no  one  was 
looking  I  could  not  take  any  of  that  either. 

"I  am  afraid  I  offended  your  mother  by  not  drink- 
ing it,  but  I  could  not  break  my  vow.  And  then  speak- 
ing a  little  louder  as  the  music  started  up,  and  they 
arose  to  take  their  places  on  the  floor,  she  continued : 
"There  was  to  be  only  one  instance  in  which  we  could 
partake  of  wine,  and  that  was  when  we  became  en- 
gaged." And  then  looking  up  at  him  with  a  mis- 
chievous twinkle  in  her  eyes,  and  dropping  her  voice 
so  that  he  had  to  stoop  to  hear  what  she  said  as  his 

224: 


KISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

arm  enciicled  her  waist  for  the  waltz,  she  munnxired: 

"I  did  want  some  of  that  champagne.  It  looked 
so  delicious.  Won't  you  be  engaged  to  me  for  the 
evening  so  as  to  absolve  me  from  my  vow,  and  I  can 
taste  it" 

"Sure,"  answered  Steve,  with  a  laugh.  "Here,  stop 
the  music  and  bring  on  that  champagne,"  he  called  to 
Ira.  "Miss  Little  and  I  are  going  to  celebrate  our 
engagement" 

And  amid  much  laughter,  and  the  popping  of  cham- 
pagne corks  they  jestingly  pledged  each  other  over 
their  brimming  glasses.  At  least  Steve  was  jesting, 
and  Miss  Little  claimed  she  was. 

Fere  Gardeau,  hearing  of  the  engagement,  and  not 
of  the  jest,  approached  Mere  Gardeau  and  said: 

"You  had  better  go  and  greet  your  new  daughter, 
that  is,  to  be.  They  say  Miss  Little  and  Steve  are 
engaged,  and  they  might  feel  hurt  if  you  wait  any 
longer."  And  so  with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world. 
Mere  Gardeau  approached  to  kiss  and  welcome  Miss 
Little  into  the  family. 

;     The  girl  gave  Steve  a  searching  glance,  and  he  sol> 
ered,  whispered  reassuringly: 

"Go  on  with  it    We  can  tell  them  different  later." 

Then  as  his  sisters  approached  one  by  one,  he  saved 
the  situation  by  saying: 

"Here  you  folks  keep  back.  I  haven't  kissed  her 
myself  yet,  and  you  can  get  yours  after  I  get  my  share 
— ^if  there's  any  left,"  and  calling  to  the  musicians  to 
start  up,  he  put  an  end  to  the  scene. 

There  was  one  member  of  the  family  who  did  not 
come  up  to  congratulate  them,  and  that  was  Blackie, 
When  he  learned  the  cause  of  the  music  being  stopped 
he  shoved  his  clenched  hands  deep  into  his  pockets  and 
stood  by  the  door  glowering.  When  Mere  Gardeau 
went  up  to  Idas  Miss  Little,  he  wheeled  and  went  out 

225 


STEVE  OF  THE  ''—  G"  RANCH 

into  the  darkness,  and  sttimbled  hurriedly  toward  the 
ranch. 

Going  into  the  bam  he  saddled  the  first  horse  he 
came  to,  a  half-broken  colt,  which  when  he  led  it 
out  into  the  cold  and  mounted  went  off  rearing  and 
plunging.  But  in  temper,  at  least,  the  man  and  beast 
were  in  harmony,  and  for  a  time  it  was  doubtful  which 
would  be  the  master?  Finally  Blackie  triumphed,  and 
in  doing  so,  some  of  his  anger  cooled,  leaving  room 
for  an  aching  disappointment.  He  rode  blindly,  pay- 
ing no  attention  to  the  direction  his  horse  took,  and 
the  next  morning  no  one  knew  what  had  become  of 
him,  but  as  they  supposed  he  had  gone  home  with  some 
one  from  the  dance,  Steve  and  Robinson  went  off  on  a 
trip  to  Wyoming  to  buy  horses,  as  they  had  previously 
planned. 

Kiowa  boasted  a  weekly  paper,  called  the  "Divide 
Review,"  and  that  paper  had  an  enterprising  editor, 
who  was  always  on  the  lookout  for  news,  and  hap- 
pening to  be  at  the  Thanksgiving  dance,  the  next  issue 
which  came  out  on  the  following  Saturday,  had  a  full 
account  of  the  engagement  and  the  way  it  was  an- 
nounced. 

The  next  Monday  noon,  one  of  the  Colwell  boys 
rode  up  to  the  post-office  and  got  the  mail,  and  in 
looking  over  the  paper.  Miss  Little  saw  the  article, 
and  read  it  over  and  over  with  increasing  satisfaction. 

"Here,''  thought  she,  "is  a  means  of  ending  the  affair 
between  Miss  Farker  and  Steve."  And  then  after 
hesitating  a  moment  she  observed: 

'*Why  not.  'All  is  fair  in  love  and  war,'  "  and 
putting  all  scruples  aside,  she  did  the  paper  into  a  neat 
little  roll,  and  so  as  to  make  the  news  more  effective, 
carefully  imitated  Steve's  handwriting,  and  addressed 
it  to  Miss  Parker.     That  evening  after  school  she 

226 


MISS  LITTLE  PROPOSES 

called  one  of  the  boys  who  went  up  past  the  post-ofEce 
and  asked  him  to  mail  it  for  her,  saying : 

"Here  is  a  bundle  which  the  folks  at  the  ranch 
wanted  me  to  have  one  of  you  take  up  for  them." 


^22T 


XX 

MISS    PARKER    AND    REGGIE    BECOME 
ENGAGED 

"Wlien  Miss  Parker  watched  Reggie  take  his  de- 
parture from  the  Alton  Ranch  she  had  made  the  re- 
mark that  she  supposed  that  was  her  last  chance  of 
becoming  a  millionairess,  but  Reggie  was  at  the  sta- 
tion to  meet  her  when  she  arrived,  and  at  once  renewed 
his  suit.  Perhaps  that  might  have  been  one  of  the 
reasons  for  her  mother  refusing  to  countenance  an 
engagement  between  her  daughter  and  Steve,  but  if 
so,  she  was  too  shrewd  to  let  it  appear. 

Miss  Parker  had  received  but  one  letter  from  Steve 
in  the  week  that  had  elapsed  since  she  had  written 
him  of  her  mother's  decision.  When  she  at  last 
heard  the  postman's  whistle,  for  the  sound  of  which 
she  had  been  nervously  listening  all  morning,  she 
picked  up  the  key  to  the  mail  box,  and  hurried  down 
stairs.  But  there  were  no  letters,  only  a  paper,  which 
being  too  large  to  slip  through  the  opening,  was  stuffed 
in  at  the  top. 

"No  letter,"  said  she  ruefully,  carelessly  turning  the 
paper  over  and  then  catching  sight  of  the  writing,  some 
of  her  disappointment  vanished,  and  she  exclaimed : 

"Oh,  I  see,  he  has  sent  me  a  paper.  Ned  used  to  say 
that  a  cow-puncher  would  rather  ride  twenty  miles  an^ 
day  than  write  a  letter,  and  perhaps  Steve  dislikes  it 
03  much  as  the  rest,  and  has  sent  nie  a  paper  instead,  to 

228 


MISS  PARKER  AlO)  REGGIE  ENGAGED 

give  me  the  news.  But  it  is  not  news,  printed  in  dead, 
lifeless  type  that  I  want.  It  is  the  personal  note,  writ- 
ten by  hand,  with  the  love  pulsing  behind  each  word, 
but  where  is  the  man  who  ever  understood  that,"  ex- 
claimed the  girl,  sighing  as  she  hastily  slipped  off  the 
wrapper. 

Finding  no  article  specially  marked  she  waited  imtil 
she  was  in  her  sitting-room  before  looking  it  over. 
The  paper  was  composed  of  only  one  double  sheet, 
and  stepping  by  the  window  for  a  better  light  she 
glanced,  through  it,  and  soon  found  the  article.  When 
she  had  read  it  she  sank  weakly  down  on  the  couch 
with  a  gasp. 

*'Well,  of  all  things.  Steve  and  Miss  Little  are  en- 
gaged, and  he  has  had  the  audacity  to  send  me  a  paper 
announcing  it,  instead  of'  writing  himself.  Well,  I 
suppose  he  knows  there  is  an  answer  to  that  He 
shall  soon  find  that  I  will  not  wear  the  willow  for 
any  man,  and  going  to  the  telephone  she  called  up 
Reggie's  number,  and  when  he  was  on  the  phone,  said : 

"Hello!  That  you,  Reggie?  I  just  called  up  to 
tell  you  that  I  would  marry  you,  and  you  can  announce 
the  engagement  at  once." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Reggie,  staggered  by  the  news. 
"What  did  you  say?"  and  when  she  had  repeated  the 
message,  Reggie  without  stopping  to  inquire  what  had 
caused  this  sudden  change  of  mind,  answered: 

"All  right,  I  will  announce  it  at  once.  Have  it  in 
all  the  evening  papers  to-night  But,  say,  what  date 
shall  I  set  for  the  wedding?" 

At  this  Miss  Parker,  who  had  only  been  thinking  of 
getting  even  with  Steve,  and  not  of  the  outcome  of  an 
engagement  to  Reggie,  faltered  for  a  moment,  and  then 
plucking  up  courage,  laughed  lightly  into  the  phone, 
saying : 

"Greedy.  Haven't  you  heard  enough  good  news  foi 
229 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

one  day.  Go  ahead  and  announce  the  engagement,  and 
we  can  talk  about  the  rest  later."  And  as  Reggie  was 
for  hurrying  right  over,  she  objected: 

''No,  don't  come,  I  am  going  out.  No,  don't  come 
this  ev^ejaing,  either.  I  have  an  appointment.  Don't 
come  until  to-morrow  morning/' 

Reggie  much  puzzled,  finally  consented  to  postpone 
his  visit  until  next  day,  and  Miss  Parker  after  hang- 
ing up  the  receiver,  went  to  her  room,  threw  herself 
on  the  bed  and  buried  her  head  in  its  pillows.  Al- 
though she  wept,  she  did  not  waver  in  her  resolution, 
and  when  tlie  evening  papers  came,  selected  one,  and 
when  she  had  blue-penciled  the  annoimcement,  folded 
it  so  that  would  be  the  first  thing  seen  when  the  paper 
was  opened,  and  addressed  it  to  Steve.  Then  in  order 
to  make  sure  of  its  being  sent,  she  put  on  her  hat  and 
coat  and  went  out  and  dropped  it  in  the  mail  box 
herself. 

Seeing  the  paper  which  had  caused  all  the  trouble 
laying  on  the  stand,  she  snatched  it  up,  and  was  about 
to  destroy  it  when  she  hesitated,  thought  better  of  it, 
and  slipping  on  the  wrapper  put  it  with  the  package 
of  letters  which  she  had  received  from  him. 

After  spending  a  sleepless  night,  she  was  in  little 
mood  to  grant  Reggie  the  privileges  of  an  accepted 
lover  when  he  called  the  next  morning,  and  presented 
a  cold  cheek  for  his  ardent  salutation,  and  with  this 
he  had  to  be  content. 

Steve,  off  with  Robinson  buying  horses,  did  not  at- 
tempt to  have  his  mail  forwarded,  as  he  was  moving 
about  from  place  to  place,  but  contented  himself  with 
writing  Miss  Parker  regularly  as  before,  and  these 
Miss  Parker  as  regularly  returned  with  the  seals  im- 
broken.  With  the  receipt  of  each  one  she  became 
more  furiously  angry  with  him,  but  now  and  then  she 
felt  a  temptation  to  steam  one  open  and  see  what  ex- 

230 


MISS  PARKEE  AND  REGGIE  ENGAGED 

cuse  he  had  to  offer  for  his  perfidy,  but  dismissed  the 
suggestion  as  dishonorable,  and  an  act  beneath  the 
dignity  of  a  lady. 

Had  she  only  yielded  to  her  curiosity  she  would 
have  been  puzzled  at  the  tone  of  Steve's  letters,  which 
were  in  the  same  loving  strain  as  formerly,  and  her 
acute  mind  might  have  divined  that  there  was  some- 
thing amiss.  However,  pride  forbade,  so  she  de- 
manded no  explanation,  acting  just  as  Miss  Little 
thought  she  would,  and  so  much  misery  was  in  store 
for  all  concerned. 

When  Steve  reached  home  a  couple  of  weeks  later, 
as  usual  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  inquire  for  mail, 
and  finding  several  letters  from  New  York,  and  a  roll 
of  papers,  gathered  them  all  together  and  started  out 
to  the  bunk  house  to  read  them.  As  he  was  going  out 
of  the  kitchen  door,  he  encountered  his  mother,  who 
true  to  her  French  training  could  not  reconcile  her- 
self to  the  lightness  with  which  American  youths  re- 
garded affairs  of  the  heart.  She  had  noted  with  frown- 
ing disapproval  the  arrival  of  each  letter  from  New 
York  since  the  public  announcement  of  Steve's  engage- 
ment to  Miss  Little,  and  seeing  the  eagerness  with 
which  ^e  hurried  out  to  read  them,  stopped  him  with 
the  remark : 

"My  son,  do  you  think  it  honorable  to  correspond 
with  one  girl  while  engaged  to  another?" 

"Correspond  with  one  girl  while  engaged  to  an- 
other?" repeated  Steve  in  a  puzzled  tone.  And  then 
all  at  once  it  burst  upon  him  that  people  accepted  his 
engagement  to  Miss  Little  as  a  fact,  and  he  was 
stopped  with  the  thought  that  since  Miss  Little  had 
not  denied  it,  he  could  hardly  do  so  without  putting 
her  in  a  bad  light,  so  answering  nothing  he  went  on 
out. 

Hastily  tearing  open  one  of  the  envelopes  on  the 
231 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

way,  he  drew  out  the  contents  and  was  surprised  to 
find  only  one  of  his  own  letters  to  Miss  Parker?  He 
turned  it  over  and  over  in  bewilderment  for  awhile, 
and  then  looked  into  the  envelope  to  see  if  there  was 
any  message  to  explain  the  matter,  but  finding  noth- 
ing, opened  another  envelope  with  the  same  result 
One  after  another  yielded  only  the  various  letters 
which  he  had  written  while  away  buying  horses,  and 
at  last  he  tore  open  the  bimdle  of  papers  to  see  if  there 
was  anything  in  them  to  enlighten  him.  The  blue- 
penciled  article  caught  his  eye  and  he  read  it,  crushed 
the  paper  in  his  hand  with  an  oath,  and  then  jerk- 
ing open  the  stove  door,  he  shoved  both  paper  and  let- 
ters into  the  fire  and  watched  it  bum,  while  he  mut- 
tered imprecations  against  Reggie  and  the  fickleness  of 
women. 

The  next  day  being  mail-day,  some  one  asked  him 
if  he  was  not  going  to  the  post-office,  and  he  growled 
out :  "Hell,  no.  I  never  want  to  see  that  post-office 
again." 

The  family  noting  his  mood,  did  not  venture  to  tease 
him  about  Hs  engagement  to  Miss  Little,  but  noticed 
with  no  little  surprise  that  he  did  not  seem  to  be  mak- 
ing any  preparation  toward  going  to  the  dance  which 
was  to  be  held  at  the  hall  that  nigth.  At  last  some 
one  inquired: 

"Aren't  you  going  after  Miss  Little?" 

"I  don't  know  as  I  am,"  answered  Steve.    "Why?" 

'*Well,  if  you  don't  some  of  the  other  fellows  will," 

replied  his  brother,  "and  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  want 

her  go  in'  with  anyone  else,  when  you've  announced 

your  engagement." 

"That's  so.  I  believe  I  am  engaged.  I  had  for- 
gotten all  about  it,"  said  Steve,  with  a  chuckle,  "Guess 
I  had  better  go  and  get  her."  And  laughing  still  more 
at  the  bewildered  look  on  the  faces  of  his  mother  and 

232 


MISS  PAEKER  AND  BEGGIE  ENGAGED 

father,  he  went  out  and  hitched  up  a  horse  to  the 
buggy  and  started  over  to  Colwell's. 

Miss  Little  had  heard  indirectly  that  he  was  back 
from  his  trip,  and  like  a  gambler  who  has  taken  long 
chances,  realized  the  crucial  moment  had  come.  If  he 
came  for  her  she  would  know  that  he  had  not  discov- 
ered the  trick  she  had  played.  She  went  to  her  room 
directly  after  supper,  and  proceeded  to  get  ready  for 
the  dance,  so  that  if  he  came  the  Colwells  would  think 
it  was  a  prearranged  plan,  and  her  position  would  be 
that  much  more  strengthened.  But  should  he  not, 
then  she  would  simply  undress  and  go  to  bed,  and  they 
would  not  know  that  she  had  expected  him.  She  had 
almost  given  up  hope  of  his  coming  and  had  been 
waiting  in  a  fever  of  impatience,  when  she  heard  the 
sound  of  wheels  approaching  on  the  hard  gravelly  road, 
and  presently  Steve's  voice  in  the  kitchen  asking  for 
her.  When  Mrs.  Colwell  knocked  on  her  door,  she 
had  on  her  cloak  and  was  standing  before  the  mirror 
busily  draping  a  soft  filmy  scarf  about  her  head. 

She  gave  Steve  a  quick,  searching  glance  as  she 
greeted  him,  and  noting  his  look  of  deep  dejection, 
quacked  inwardly.  But  as  he  did  not  seem  to  connect 
her  with  his  trouble,  she  became  more  assured  in  her 
mind,  and  as  they  drove  toward  the  hall,  chatted  mer- 
rily. Gradually  she  beguilded  him  from  his  taciturn 
mood,  and  as  they  neared  the  " — G"  Ranch  and  he  had 
not  mentioned  the  engagement,  she  broached  the  sub- 
ject herself,  saying: 

''We  must  tell  the  people  to-night  that  our  announce- 
ment Thanksgiving  day  was  a  joke.  It  will  not  do 
to  let  it  go  any  farther.  I  should  have  done  so  at 
once  only  I  was  afraid  it  would  offend  your  people. 
Make  them  think  I  was  trifling  with  you." 

And  so  with  these  few  sentences  she  put  herself  back 
into  the  position  of  the  pursued.    And  showed  herself 

233 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

mistress  of  the  world-old  tactics  of  her  sex,  who  make 
the  first  advance  and  then  retreat,  until  the  man  be- 
comes so  lost  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase  that  he 
forgets  that  he  was  ever  anything  but  the  pursuer. 
Steve  remembering  the  unaccountable  action  of  Miss 
Parker,  and  thinking  this  a  chance  to  get  even,  rose 
to  the  bait  like  a  hungry  trout,  and  said : 

"Why  not  let  it  stand?  I  have  no  objection  if  you 
haven't." 

"But  I  have,"  she  had  the  wisdom  to  r^ly.  "My 
husband  shall  never  say  that  I  proposed  to  him,  even 
in  jest." 

She  could  not  have  said  anything  more  calculated 
to  stimulate  his  interest.  If  she  had  expressed  herself 
as  willing  to  let  the  engagement  stand,  he  would  have 
felt  the  tolerent  contempt  which  his  sex  feels  for  a 
woman  who  honestly  expresses  a  preference  in  regard 
to  themselves.  But  Miss  Little  was  clever  enough  to 
know  this,  and  while  her  heart  beat  joyously  at  his 
assertion,  she  still  maintained  that  it  was  all  a  joke,  and 
that  they  should  tell  the  people  at  the  dance  that  it 
was." 

Presently  Fred  Knox  came  up  to  Steve,  and  ob- 
served : 

"Miss  Little  says  you  folks  was  jestin'  the  other 
flight." 

"Sure,"  answered  Steve.  'TKdn't  you  know  that 
matrimony  was  a  joke,  and  that  anybody  that  takes  it 
seriously  is  soon  a  fit  subject  for  the  insane  asylum. 
Whenever  a  girl  tells  you  that  she  will  marry  you,  you 
want  to  laugh,  because  that  is  what  it  is  'a  joke'."  And 
Fred  detecting  the  note  of  bitterness  in  his  voice,  said : 

"Yes,  I  see  it's  a  joke.  But  who  played  it.  The 
one  that  was  comin'  or  a  gom'." 

"Both,"  answered  Steve,  as  he  turned  away,  his  re- 
ply more  true  than  he  knew. 

234 


MISS  PARKER  AND  REGGIE  ENGAGED 

All  during  the  evening  different  ones  would  chaff 
them  about  their  engagement,  but  Steve  according  to 
his  ideas  of  chivalry,  could  do  nothing  but  turn  it  off 
in  some  way,  while  Miss  Little  lost  no  opportunity  to 
tell  every  one  that  it  was  a  joke,  leading  people  to 
think  that  Steve  was  the  anxious  one,  while  she  was 
indifferent. 

On  the  way  to  the  Colwell  Ranch,  after  the  dance, 
she,  having  heard  Steve  several  times  during  the  night 
inquiring  of  the  different  ones  if  they  had  seen  any- 
thmg  of  Blackie,  asked: 

"Where  is  Blackie?    Has  he  disappeared?" 

"Yes.  He  disappeared  Thanksgiving  night,  and  wc 
haven't  seen  him  since." 

"Thanksgiving  night!    At  what  time?" 

"Sometime  after  supper,"  and  then  as  a  sudden 
thought  struck  him,  he  looked  at  her  intently,  and 
said :    "By  Gee,  I  never  thought  of  that" 

"Never  thought  of  what?" 

"That  he  might  have  gone  away  on  account  of  us 
sayin'  we  was  engaged." 

"Well,  if  he  has,  it*s  his  own  fault.  He  is  a  man 
and  if  he  chose  to  delude  himself  no  one  is  to  blame  but 
him." 

"Are  you  right  sure  no  one  is  to  blame?  Don't  you 
think  you  helped  along  the  deludin'  a  little?" 

"And  supposing  I  did?"  flared  she,  in  a  sudden 
burst  of  anger.  "Isn't  a  man  a  living  temptation  to 
a  girl  of  spirit.  There  won't  one  of  you  look  at  a  girl 
unless  you  think  a  dozen  other  fellows  want  her.  Let 
a  girl  play  square,  arid  discourage  all  attention  from 
every  fellow  except  the  one  she  chances  to  like,  and 
that  one  immediately  takes  alarm  and  shies  off.  But 
if  she  is  clever  and  encourages  them  all,  and  has  the 
strength  of  character  to  treat  the  one  she  likes  with 

235 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'*  RANCH 

the  same  indifference  as  she  treats  the  one  she  does 
not  like,  she  is  sure  to  win, 

**A  man  likes  to  see  his  judgment  verified,  and  what 
no  one  else  wants,  neither  does  he.  I  have  often  had 
some  handsome  fellow,  as  a  favor  to  me,  pay  devoted 
attention  to  some  homely  wall-flower  for  an  evening, 
just  to  watch  how  the  other  fellows  followed  his  lead, 
and  sought  her  afterward.  Men  deserve  no  pity,  in 
my  estimation.  And  if  a  girl  did  right  she  would 
accept  every  one  who  proposes,  until  she  gets  the  right 
one." 

"Well,  why  don't  you  do  that  then?  Accept  every 
man  who  proposes." 

/'How  do  you  know  that  I  have  not?** 

"Well,  you  haven't  accepted  me." 

"Neither  have  you  proposed,"  laughed  she.  "As  I 
remember  it,  I  was  the  one  who  proposed." 

"All  right  then,  I  propose,"  said  Steve  with  an 
answering  chuckle.    "Do  you  accept?" 

"No,  not  imtil  you  are  more  abject  about  it  than 
now," 

"Well,  I  can't  be  very  abject  There  ain't  room  in 
this  buggy  for  me  to  get  down  on  my  knees.  You 
might  as  well  accept,  you  can  bring  about  the  abject- 
ness  later." 

"No,  I  will  not  accept,  but  we  will  just  continue  the 
joke,  since  you  find  it  amusing," 

"AH  right,"  agreed  Steve.  "But  seems  to  me  you 
you  don't  play  the  game  quite  fair.  As  I  take  it,  you 
was  absolved  from  your  vow,  and  drank  the  cham- 
pagne, but  where  do  I  come  in.  So  far  all  I  have  got 
out  of  it  is  in  the  report  of  being  engaged  to  you, 
which  you  take  the  trouble  to  tell  every  one  is  a  joke." 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?"  asked  she  in  a  softened 
voice.  Dropping  at  once  her  tone  of  gay  banter,  and 
leaning  back  against  the  seat,  toward  his  shoulder,  so 

23a 


MISS  PAKKEE  AOT)  KEGGIE  ENGAGED 

that  tlie  moonlight  streamed  over  her  face  and  revealed 
her  pouting  lips  tantalizingly  near. 

"What  do  I  want?"  echoed  Steve.  "I  want  what 
any  engaged  man  is  entitled  to.  My  pay  in  kisses,  and 
I'm  goin'  to  get  them  right  now." 

Uttering  a  low  laugh,  which  was  blending  of  assent 
and  challenge,  she  struggled  to  elude  him.  At  last  he 
had  her  face  turned  toward  him,  and  was  bending  to 
press  his  lips  on  hers,  when  suddenly  there  flashed 
across  his  mind  remembrance  of  that  other  betrothal 
on  the  mountain  tops,  and  his  heart  chilled.  Stifling 
a  sigh,  he  kissed  her,  but  without  passion,  and  as  he 
did  so,  it  seemed  he  could  see  Miss  Parker's  face  be- 
fore him,  filled  with  reproach. 

Miss  Little  felt  his  sudden  lack  of  ardor,  and  was 
furious  with  herself  for  yielding. 

"Have  I  played  the  game  so  long,"  thought  she,  "to 
give  my  lips  to  one  who  kisses  them  half-heartedly?" 

On  the  way  home  Steve  marveled  at  himself,  think- 
ing: 

"If  any  one  had  told  me  that  I  could  kiss  a  pretty 
girl  with  as  little  enthusiasm  I'd  have  told  him  he  was 
a  liar.  Funny  that  I  should  see  Miss  Parker's  face 
that  a-way.  She  sure  can't  have  any  kick  com  in'  for 
she  set  me  the  example."  And  then  he  went  over  for 
the  thousandth  time,  her  unaccoimtable  action.  "I  sure 
never  thought  she  would  deal  m-i  a  hand  like  that  If 
it  had  been  Miss  Little,  now,  I  wouldn't  a-been  at  all 
surprised.  It  must  have  been  her  mother  that  got 
around  her  in  some  way." 

For  some  time  it  was  in  this  channel  his  mind  ran, 
whenever  he  had  an  opportunity  to  think.  But  after 
awhile  the  poignancy  of  his  regret  began  to  wear  off. 
Love  is  a  fire  that  will  in  time  bum  itself  out,  if  no 
fresh  fuel  is  supplied.    Especially  if  the  one  concerned 

23T 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

has  other  distractions  in  the  way  of  companionship 
and  work,  and  Steve  had  both.  ^ 

When  Miss  Parker  wrote  him  of  her  mother's  deci- 
sion, she  held  out  the  hope  of  her  continued  letters, 
and  these  would  have  furnished  the  necessary  fuel  to 
keep  alive  his  love  for  an  indefinite  time.  But  on  the 
heels  of  her  letter  came  the  paper  containing  the  ac- 
count of  her  engagement  to  Reggie.  Thus  with  all 
hope  dead  Steve  began  to  try  to  put  her  out  of  his 
mind  and  welcomed  anything  that  would  distract  his 
thoughts  from  their  gloomy  channel. 

Finding  that  Miss  Little  with  her  merry  chatter 
helped  to  beguile  him  from  melancholy  he  sought  her 
society  at  every  opportunity,  and  gradually  began  to 
fall  under  the  spell  of  her  magnetic  personality.  He 
basked  in  the  sunlight  of  her  smile,  and  no  more  vi- 
sions of  Miss  Parker  came  to  lessen  the  fervor  of  his 
kisses. 

In  this  way  he  lost  all  enthusiasm  over  the  trip  to 
New  York.  He  was  interested  in  the  monetary  part 
of  course,  but  all  the  zest  was  gone.  Nevertheless, 
he  went  about  training  the  cow-ponies,  and  getting 
them  used  to  having  the  polo  clubs  swung  over  and 
around  them.  In  order  to  give  them  some  actual  work 
he  organized  a  couple  of  polo  teams  among  the  cow- 
boys, and  Robinson,  who  was  unable  to  use  his  arm 
enough  to  play,  coached  them  in  the  rules  of  the  game. 
As  he  did  so  he  thought  he  never  knew  what  polo  was 
until  he  saw  it  played  by  those  reckless  cow-punchers. 

To  him,  also,  fell  the  task  of  exercising  the  various 
horses  every  day,  so  as  to  keep  them  worked  down  a 
little,  and  in  order  to  make  it  more  interesting  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  taking  along  the  pack  of  hounds  and 
hunting  coyotes  on  the  way.  There  were  seven  or 
eight  dogs  in  the  pack,  and  the  leaders  were  two  mas- 
sive, shaggy-haired,  bushy-tailed  stag  hounds.     One 

238 


MISS  PARKER  AND  REGGIE  ENGAGED 

beautifully  marked  with  large,  tawny  spots  over  his 
back  and  head,  and  the  other  was  of  a  very  light  tan 
color. 

The  spotted  one  called  "Prince"  was  very  good- 
natured,  while  the  other  was  surly  and  cross,  ready 
to  snap  or  growl  on  the  slightest  provocation.  Like 
some  people  his  soul  was  attuned  to  sadness.  When 
the  sun  had  set,  and  the  active  life  around  the  ranch 
had  settled  down  for  the  night  "The  Duke*'  as  he  was 
called,  would  hunt  some  likely  spot,  preferably  under 
somebody's  window,  and  pointing  his  nose  toward  the 
moon,  commence  his  lone  and  dismal  lament. 

This  he  would  keep  up  with  all  sorts  of  variations. 
Sometimes  swelling  to  a  loud  crescendo  on  the  last 
note,  and  sometimes  ending  it  in  a  plaintive  whine, 
until  the  nerves  of  the  one  he  was  serenading  could 
stand  it  no  longer,  and  they  would  end  it  by  throwing 
a  boot  or  shoe  at  him. 

Mere  Gardeau  was  very  superstitious,  and  would 
always  say  when  she  heard  him  howling  that  it  was 
a  sign  of  a  death.  One  morning  on  hearing  her  make 
that  remark,  Steve  said,  with  his  characteristic  dry 
chuckle. 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  a  fact.  For  if  he  howls  like 
that  again  under  my  window  there'll  sure  be  a  death. 
If  it's  the  spirits  of  his  ancestors  he's  grievin*  over, 
as  some  claim,  he  certainly  feels  awful  bad  about  them, 
and  I  don't  think  it's  right  to  keep  him  away  from 
them  any  longer." 

Perhaps  it  was  the  spirit  of  his  ancestors  calling  him 
as  a  short  time  afterwards  he  was  found  one  morn- 
ing walking  around  in  a  circle,  and  in  a  day  or  two, 
in  spite  of  all  Robinson's  doctoring,  or  perhaps  because 
of  it,  he  died. 


289 


THEY  START  EAST  WITH  THE  POLO 
PONIES 

XXI 

They  had  planned  to  start  East  with  their  horses 
some  time  the  latter  part  of  March,  as  that  would 
bring  them  there  in  time  to  get  them  in  shape  before 
the  polo  season  opened.  They  only  intended  to  take 
enough  to  fill  one  car  on  the  first  trip,  until  they  saw 
how  they  sold  ,although  they  had  bought  enough  to 
make  several  cars.  Boston,  being  Robinson's  home, 
was  the  ultimate  destination,  and  as  he  belonged  to  all 
the  riding  and  polo  clubs,  they  did  not  anticipate  an)? 
trouble  in  disposing  of  their  first  load  to  good  ad- 
vantage. 

School  still  lacked  a  few  days  of  being  out,  and 
Miss  Little  bade  Steve  good-by  with  many  inward 
misgivings.  Of  late  he  had  fallen  into  the  roll  of  an 
accepted  lover,  but  before  doing  so  he  had  with  char- 
acteristic honesty,  told  her  the  ins  and  outs  of  his 
affair  with  Miss  Parker,  and  as  far  as  he  knew,  the 
manner  of  its  ending.  Miss  Little  at  once  surmised 
that  Miss  Parker's  action  was  but  the  outcome  of  her 
own  little  ruse,  but  stifling  all  twinges  of  conscience, 
had  set  about  winning  him  from  any  thought  of  her 
rival 

She  exerted  every  charm  to  please,  and  throwing  ofl 
all  restraint  of  manner  let  him  see  the  depth  of  her 
love,  thus  showering  him  with  the  sweetest  flattery. 
She  listened  with  sympathetic  admiration  to  all  his  sto- 

240 


THEY  STAET  EAST  WITH  THE  PONIES 

ries  of  adventure,  and  in  a  thousand  winsome  ways 
made  him  feel  he  was  her  hero.  And  when  you  take 
into  consideration  his  isolation  from  any  others  girU 
that  any  way  near  compared  with  her  in  looks  manner 
or  dress,  can  you  wonder  that  Steve  succumbed,  nor 
counted  himself  anything  but  lucky  in  so  doine.  After 
all,  Miss  Little  was  simply  a  pretty  girl  who  had  been 
spoiled  and  made  selfish  by  a  doting  mother,  and  much 
flattery,  who  was  using  every  means,  legitimate  and 
otherwise,  which  she  possessed,  to  win  the  man  she 
loved. 

Now  just  as  she  felt  she  had  succeeded,  came  this 
trip  to  the  East  with  the  horses.  True  he  was  going 
to  Boston,  and  Miss  Parker  lived  in  New  York,  but 
the  situation  was  fraught  with  possibilities.  But  all 
she  could  do  was  to  take  the  chances,  and  trust  to  her 
luck  which  had  not  failed  her  so  far. 

Only  one  man  was  needed  to  look  after  the  horses 
on  the  way,  but  Robinson  to  whom  it  was  all  novel, 
decided  to  accompany  Steve  as  far  as  Chicago,  and 
the  latter  was  very  grateful  for  his  society,  as  it  was 
a  long,  wearisome  trip. 

The  long,  unwiedly  freight  train  to  which  their  car 
was  attached  was  constantly  being  backed  onto  a  sid- 
ing to  await  the  coming  of  some  passenger  train,  which 
would  rush  upon  them  out  of  the  void,  and  go  hurt- 
ling past.  Even  when  they  were  side-tracked  in  some 
small  City  or  village,  the  monotony  was  just  as  great, 
or  even  worse,  for  there  is  nothing  more  unlovely  than 
the  railroad  section  of  a  City.  No  matter  how  long 
the  wait,  the  time  of  departure  was  always  uncertain, 
so  they  were  compelled  to  stay  close  by,  lest  the  train 
suddenly  depart  without  them. 

But  whatever  hardship  they  encountered,  Robinson, 
who  was  of  a  philosophic  turn  of  mind,  seemed  to  take 
it  as  one  more  event  of  his  trip,  and  found  it  pro- 

241 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

portionately  interesting.  He  was  fond  of  discussing 
all  ethical  questions,  and  was  always  on  the  lookout 
for  material.  Spying  some  men  stealing  a  ride  under- 
neath a  car  one  day,  he  invited  them  to  ride  in  the 
caboose,  and  gave  the  conductor  a  tip  not  to  molest 
them. 

He  drew  an  interesting  trio.  One  was  a  boy  evi- 
dently on  his  first  trip  away  from  home ;  another  was 
a  college  graduate  seeking  adventure,  while  the  third 
was  a  hardened  old  bum  of  the  worst  type.  He  boasted 
that  he  had  never  worked  in  his  life,  and  never  ex- 
pected to,  and  the  color  of  his  nose  attested  to  the  suc- 
cess of  whatever  method  he  adopted  to  procure  the 
wherewithal  to  sustain  life.  For,  like  a  meerschaum 
pipe,  the  nose  does  not  reach  such  mellow  tone  with- 
out much  patient  endeavor,  and  liquor  can  not  always 
be  had  without  money. 

Cards  are  the  great  leveler  of  mankind.  Men  of 
all  classes  and  nationalities  can  meet  and  find  enter- 
tainment in  matching  their  wits,  skill  or  luck,  one 
against  the  other.  So  when  they  were  all  gathered  in 
the  slowly  moving  caboose,  Robinson  produced  a  pack, 
and  in  lieu  of  a  table,  they  sat  down  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor  and  played  poker. 

The  boy  professesd  himself  without  money,  so  Rob- 
inson staked  him,  while  the  college  man  and  the  tramp 
from  some  inner  recesses  of  their  clothing,  produced 
a  dollar  each,  and  laid  it  on  the  floor.  As  they  played, 
strangely  enough  luck  was  with  the  boy,  who  claimed 
to  be  a  novice  at  the  game,  and  he  won  steadily.  Fin- 
ally as  they  stopped  at  the  station,  Steve  went  out  to 
look  after  the  stock,  and  the  rest  tired  of  such  a 
one-sided  game,  followed  one  by  one,  to  stretch  their 
limbs  which  were  cramped  from  so  long  sitting  on  the 
floor. 

When  the  train  started  and  they  returned  to  the  ca- 
242 


THEY  START  EAST  WITH  THE  PONIES 

boose  the  ice  now  having  been  broken,  Robinson  be- 
gan trying  to  draw  them  out.  He  and  the  college  man 
soon  found  many  ideas  in  common,  and  everything  was 
touched  upon.  Science,  religion,  politics,  and  last  of 
all,  love. 

Steve  listened  for  awhile,  and  then  asked  if  they 
thought  a  man  could  love  more  than  once. 

The  college  man  was  of  the  decided  opinion  that 
a  person  could  only  once  experience  the  grand  passion. 
Robinson,  being  a  little  older  was  doubtful,  while  the 
boy  thought  it  was  all  a  myth,  a  specie  of  insanity  that 
people  indulged  in  as  they  grew  up,  and  at  last  Rob- 
inson turned  to  the  tramp  and  asked : 

"What  is  your  opinion?" 

"Well,  ye  can  take  it  from  me,  bo,"  said  he  ad- 
dressing Steve.  "Ye  kin  luv  jist  as  many  times  as  ye 
gits  de  chanst.  Can  ye  eat  enough  to  onct  to  last  ye 
a  life  time?"  asked  he  contemptuously.  "No,  de  sup- 
ply must  be  constant  and  regular,  if  ye  w^ants  to  keep 
healthy  and  happy.  Supposin'  ye  do  like  peaches  an* 
some  udder  man  has  cornered  de  supply,  an'  only 
apples  is  handy.  Yell  have  to  cultivate  an  appetite  fur 
apples  dats  all,  or  go  hungry.  An*  if  de  apple  is  a 
good  brand,  even  if  it  is  a  little  rusty  coated,  after 
awhile  ye  furgits  dat  ye  ever  thot  peaches  was  de 
only  fruit  wort  eatin,'  but  if  de  supply  of  peaches 
keeps  up,  eat  away.  Each  one  may  have  a  little  dif- 
ferent flavor,  but  dey  is  peaches  jist  de  same." 

Night  came  on  and  with  it  sleep.  Everyone  but 
the  tramp  removed  his  shoes,  before  stretching  him- 
self out  on  the  hard  benches  of  the  caboose.  He  prob- 
ably deemed  such  an  operation  as  superfluous,  as  from 
each  of  his  shoes  protruded  one  great  toe,  like  the  head 
of  a  turtle  sticking  out  of  his  shell.  This  waved  back 
and  forth  rythmically  in  time  to  his  snores  and  Rob- 
inson much  amused  lay  and  watched  it  for  a  time 

243 


STEVE  OF  THE  «—  G"  RANCH 

Soon  he  too  was  lost  in  the  land  of  dreams,  and  ricpt 
on  undisturbed  by  the  rocking  and  bumping  of  the 
caboose,  as  it  whipped  along  b«hind  the  swiftly  mov- 
ing train. 

Robinson  and  Steve  had  their  own  beds,  but  these 
they  did  not  offer  to  share  with  their  companions,  for 
reasons  which  they  thought  sufficient,  and  the  others 
did  not  seem  to  notice  the  omission. 

They  were  all  aroused  suddenly  the  next  morning  at 
an  exclamation  of  rage  from  Robinson,  and  looking 
up  they  burst  into  a  shout  of  laughter.  The  tramp 
was  missing,  and  so  were  Robinson's  shoes,  but  he  had 
considerately  left  his  old  ones  in  place  of  the  shiny 
patent  leathers  he  had  purloined.  The  boy  turning  out 
his  pockets  disclosed  the  fact  that  his  winnings  had 
vanished  also,  so  one  of  the  tramp's  methods  of  ex- 
istance  was  explained. 

When  they  reached  Chicago,  Robinson  left  Steve  to 
make  the  rest  of  the  journey  alone,  while  he  went 
ahead  to  arrange  for  a  place  to  keep  the  horses  until 
they  were  soli 


244 


XXII 
STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

We  will  now  return  to  Miss  Parker.  After  the  first 
heat  of  her  anger  had  worn  itself  off,  she  began  to 
regret  that  she  had  consented  to  marry  Reggie,  for  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  she  thought  Steve  was  engaged  to 
Miss  Little  and  did  not  care  for  her,  she  could  not  put 
him  out  of  her  heart,  and  felt  more  distaste  than  ever 
to  marrying  Reggie. 

But  her  mother  and  aunt  were  delighted  over  the 
engagement  and  urged  her  to  let  it  stand,  bringing 
every  argument  they  could  think  of  to  bear  upon  her. 
In  vain  she  pleaded  that  she  did  not  love  him,  and 
never  could. 

"Tut,  tut!"  objected  her  aunt.  "Love  is  all  very 
well,  but  one  can't  have  everything.  You  have  demon- 
strated to  yourself  that  being  in  love  does  not  bring 
happiness  for  very  long,  and  now  that  you  have  had 
your  dream,  why  not  wake  up  and  grasp  some  of  the 
material  things  of  life." 

"Be  satisfied  in  being  adored,  and  contrast  Reggie'i 
devotion  to  Steve's  fickleness.  See  how  he  has  loved 
you  through  all  these  years,  while  you  have  steadily 
refused  him.  Don't  you  think  such  fidelity  should  be 
rewarded  ?" 

And  the  girl,  whose  life  from  childhood  up,  had  been 
one  which  tended  to  develop  all  the  generosity  of  her 
nature,  and  unselfishness,  now  yielded  to  the  importu- 
nities of  the  two  she  loved  best. 

And  again,  no  woman  can  be  indifferent  to  being 
245 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

loved  and  cared  for,  and  there  is  an  undoubted 
glamour  about  being  the  fiancee  of  a  milUonaire.  Her 
friends  looked  at  her  with  admiration  and  envy,  and 
Reggie  showed  by  every  act  that  he  had  her  constantly 
in  his  mind.  He  was  always  in  attendance  and  never 
called  empty  handed,  showering  her  with  costly  gifts 
in  the  way  of  rare  flowers  and  precious  jewels.  He 
would  have  gone  farther  had  she  permitted,  and  bought 
her  the  latest  Paris  creations,  as  he  longed  to  see  her 
beauty  have  the  proper  setting,  but  such  gifts  Miss 
Parker  would  not  accept.  He  would  have  to  be  con- 
tent with  her  as  she  was,  she  told  him.  Time  enough 
for  Parisian  gowns  when  they  were  married,  but  nev- 
ertheless she  was  dazzled  by  his  munificence,  and  felt 
more  inclined  to  yield  when  he  pleaded  for  a  hasty 
marriage. 

Had  he  had  the  wisdom  to  absent  himself  now  and 
then  and  have  given  the  girl  a  chance  to  miss  him,  he 
would  have  helped  his  cause,  but  Reggie  did  not  have 
sufficient  strength  of  character  to  do  that.  And,  as 
often  happens,  his  ardor  was  the  cause  of  his  own 
undoing,  or,  perhaps,  after  all  he  was  but  the  instru- 
ment in  the  hands  of  fate. 

While  at  the  Alton  Ranch,  he  had  realized  that  his 
inability  to  ride  had  placed  him  to  great  disadvantage 
with  Miss  Parker,  and  immediately  upon  reaching  New 
York  he  had  at  once  hunted  up^  an  expensive  riding 
master  and  started  taking  lessons.  However,  like  a 
great  many  people  who  would  be  cultured,  he  would 
have  possessed  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  if  it  could 
have  been  bought,  but  he  was  not  willing  to  put  forth 
the  necessary  effort  to  acquire  it. 

Nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  the  time  set  for  the 
lessons,  but,  as  it  was  his  boast  that  he  never  went  to 
bed  the  same  day  as  he  arose,  the  hour  usually  passed 
with  Reggie  sound  asleep,  but  the  pay  went  on  just 

246 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

the  same.  Finally,  from  the  amount  of  money  he  had 
expended,  he  thought  he  ought  to  be  an  expert,  so, 
chancing  to  visit  his  mother  at  the  time,  he  joined  one 
of  the  polo  and  riding  clubs. 

With  the  arrival  of  Robinson  and  his  horses,  interest 
in  polo  waxed  to  fever  heat.  There  had  always  been 
a  rivalry  between  the  two  teams,  and  as  each  man  had 
bought  one  or  more  horses,  they  were  anxious  to  try 
them  out.  Every  member  thought  he  could  give  points 
to  David  Harum  when  it  came  to  judging  horses,  and 
there  was  heavy  betting  as  to  the  outcome  of  the 
game. 

Reggie  was  in  a  quandary.  There  was  only  one 
short  month  intervening  between  the  date  of  the  game 
and  his  wedding  day,  and,  while  he  wanted  to  play  in 
the  game,  he  did  not  wish  to  leave  Miss  Parker  for 
so  long  a  time.  Hour  after  hour,  he  sat  dully  before 
the  window  of  an  uptown  club,  pondering  the  ques- 
tion, and,  as  an  aid  to  thought,  chewed  the  head  of 
his  cane.  Unusual  agitation  of  mind  was  indicated 
by  the  fact  that  its  polished  gold  knob  was  soon  all 
scratched  and  dented.  It  is  doubtful  whether  he 
would  ever  have  hit  upon  a  solution,  but  a  friend, 
chancing  to  notice  his  perturbation,  stopped  to  in- 
quire : 

"Why  these  deep  meditations,  Reggie  ?  What  great 
Wall  Street  coup  are  you  planning  now  ?" 

"The  mattah  is  fah  more  sewious  than  that,  don- 
cher-know,  old  chap,"  answered  Reggie,  glad  of  a 
chance  to  unburden  his  mind.  "I  belong  to  one  of  the 
polo  teams  at  Boston,  and  they  are  going  to  have  a  big 
game  next  Saturday,  and  I  can't  tear  myself  away 
from  New  York.  Fm  going  to  be  married  the  first 
of  June,  don-cher-know,"  added  Reggie,  as  if  that  was 
sufficient  excuse  to  account  for  any  eccentricity. 

247 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Oh,  I  see.  Can't  leave  the  fair  charmer.  Well, 
why  don't  you  take  her  along?  Your  mother  will  put 
her  up,  I  should  think." 

"Bah  jove,  old  boy!"  said  Reggie,  a  look  of  intelli- 
gence breaking  over  his  face.  "I  nevah  thought  of 
that  Evah  so  much  obliged  for  the  suggestion.  TU 
just  do  that."  And,  getting  up,  he  left  the  club  in  a 
flurry. 

At  last  the  day  of  the  game  arrived,  and  all  was  in 
readiness.  Miss  Parker  and  her  aunt  were  seated  with 
Reggie's  mother  in  a  box,  and  Reggie,  as  proud  as  a 
peacock,  dashed  out  into  the  field  at  full  speed,  and 
then,  without  checking  his  horse,  wheeled  in  a  narrow 
circle  and  rode  up  alongside  the  barrier  opposite  them 
and  lifted  his  helmet  in  salute.  His  mother  clapped 
her  hands  in  applause  at  this  piece  of  horsemanship, 
and  Miss  Parker,  half  mocking,  half  serious,  called  to 
him: 

"Why,  Reggie,  you  have  become  quite  a  Rough 
Rider."  Reggie,  stopping  only  a  moment,  wheeled  his 
horse  and  galloped  off  with  a  great  air  of  importance  to 
where  tlie  other  members  of  his  team  were  gathered. 
They  wore  blue  shirts  and  blue  helmets,  while  Robin- 
son's club  wore  white  shirts  and  white  helmets. 

The  umpire  blew  a  shrill  whistle  and  tossed  a  white 
ball  into  the  center  of  the  ring,  and  the  eight  horse- 
men, swinging  their  long-handled  clubs,  dashed  after 
it.  Soon  they  were  so  closely  huddled  together  that 
no  one  could  reach  the  ball.  Finally  they  opened  up 
a  bit,  and  a  member  of  the  Blues,  with  a  dexterous 
twist  of  his  wrist,  sent  the  ball  rolling  toward  their 
goal,  but  this  the  White  Caps  tried  to  prevent:  then 
ensued  a  scramble.  The  ball  rolled  from  first  one  end 
of  the  ring  to  another,  pursued  closely  by  the  horsemen. 

The  first  quarter  and  part  of  the  second  passed,  and 
248 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

neither  side  had  scored.  At  last  Robinson  had  the  ball 
down  to  their  end  of  the  field,  and  was  about  to  make 
a  goal,  when  Reggie  in  a  desperate  effort  to  prevent 
it,  swung  his  club  aloft,  and  brought  it  down,  just  as 
Robinson  lifted  his  arm  for  the  final  stroke.  He  caught 
the  full  force  of  the  blow,  and  his  arm,  which  had  re- 
cently healed,  snapped  and  himg  limp  and  useless  by 
his  side. 

Robinson  reeled  in  the  saddle.  Another  of  the  Blues 
Btarted  the  ball  back  toward  their  end,  when  the  whis- 
tle blew  for  the  intermission. 

The  White  Caps  were  in  despair.  Robinson  could 
not  play,  and  they  could  not  find  a  substitute.  At  last, 
in  desperation,  they  sent  a  man  out  to  look  among  the 
audience  to  see  if  they  could  not  find  some  other  mem- 
ber of  the  club.  When  he  returned  unsuccessful, 
Steve,  who  had  been  getting  Robinson's  horse,  came 
up  just  then,  and  Robinson  suggested: 

"Steve,  here,  is  a  good  player,  why  not  put  him  ki 
the  game?"  u^^ 

"But  he  isn't  a  member  of  the  club,  and  only  mem- 
bers can  play,"  objected  one. 

"Well,  make  him  a  member,  then.  Til  vouch  for 
him,"  said  Robinson.  And  as  the  time  was  almost  up, 
they  proceeded  to  swear  him  into  the  club. 

The  eight  men,  each  on  a  fresh  mount,  rode  back 
into  the  field,  and,  as  the  White  Caps  galloped  across 
to  take  their  position  at  the  other  end.  Miss  Parker  ut- 
tered a  slight  exclamation,  and,  turning  to  Mrs.  Van 
Rennsler,  inquired: 

"Who  is  the  new  man  who  took  the  place  of  the  one 
Reggie  hurt?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Mrs.  Van  Rennsler,  lev- 
cling  her  glasses.  "He  rides  well,  anyway."  And 
then,  handing  the  glasses  to  the  girl,  she  said: 

"Sec  if  you  can  recognize  him." 
249 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

Miss  Parker  took  the  glasses,  but  before  she  could 
level  them  the  whistle  sounded  and  the  game  com» 
menced.  In  the  confusion  which  followed,  she  could 
not  get  the  range,  so  she  put  them  aside,  thinking  to 
wait  until  the  rider  should  pass  nearer. 

"But  it  can  not  be  Steve,"  thought  she.  "What 
would  he  be  doing  here  in  Boston,  and  a  member  of 
one  of  the  most  exclusive  clubs?  But  whoever  it  is 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  him."  Her  eyes  fol- 
lowed him  about,  while  her  cheeks  alternately  paled 
and  flushed  at  the  memories  that  the  resemblance  in- 
voked. 

Steve  had  seen  Reggie  outside  before  the  game 
started,  and  more  than  half  expected  Miss  Parker  to 
be  present.  Then,  watching  Reggie  as  he  dashed  up 
to  the  box,  he  at  once  decided  that  she  was  there,  as 
Reggie  was  most  likely  making  the  grandstand  play 
for  her  benefit. 

When  he  entered  the  field  he  decided  to  avoid  that 
side  as  much  as  possible,  but  presently  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  game  he  forgot  all  about  it.  Several  times 
he  sent  the  ball  toward  goal,  but  each  time  the  other 
riders  were  bunched  up,  and  failed  to  follow  up  his 
play.  Becoming  disgusted,  he  resolved  that  the 
next  time  he  had  the  ball  he  would  stay  with  it. 

Presently  he  saw  an  opening,  and  with  it  an  oppor- 
tunity to  humiliate  Reggie  as  well.  The  ball  rolled  off 
to  one  side  and  stopped  right  in  front  of  the  box  where 
Miss  Parker  was  sitting,  and  he  and  Reggie  started 
toward  it  at  the  same  time. 

Reggie  tried  to  ride  foul  of  Steve  and  shut  him  away 
from  the  ball,  but  Steve  did  not  swerve  aside.  His 
horse,  which  was  the  same  little  pony  which  had  first 
attracted  Robinson's  attention  on  the  round-up,  laid 
back  his  ears,  and  rushed  upon  Reggie^s  horse  at  a  full 
gallop.    The  horses  struck  each  other  with  such  force 

250 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

that  it  threw  Reggie  from  his  precarious  seat,  and 
pitched  him  over  the  barrier.  He  fell  at  Miss  Parker's 
feet,  and  the  audience  roared. 

Miss  Parker  saw  the  furious  approach  and  caught 
the  vengeful  gleam  of  eye,  and,  without  understanding 
the  how  or  why  of  his  being  there,  knew  instantly  that 
it  was  Steve. 

He  heard  her  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  for  an 
instant  their  eyes  met,  and  then,  without  speaking,  he 
bent  over,  struck  the  ball,  and,  riding  so  as  to  shut  off 
the  approach  of  the  others,  coaxed  it  on  to  goal. 

Reggie's  horse  galloped  down  toward  the  entrance, 
and,  finding  the  gate  unguarded,  ran  out,  where  an  at- 
tendant caught  him  just  as  the  whistle  blew  for  the  last 
intermission. 

The  next  quarter  was  hotly  contested.  Steve  played 
as  only  a  man  can  who  has  the  incentive  of  humiliat- 
ing a  successful  rival,  and  as  the  game  progressed  he 
saw  what  Robinson  meant  when  he  said  that  he  never 
knew  what  polo  was  until  he  saw  it  played  by  the  cow- 
boys. Only  a  few  of  the  men  could  ride  very  well, 
and  had  not  the  size  or  build  to  enable  them  to  strike 
a  good  blow.  Then  instead  of  spreading  out  so  as  to  be 
able  to  follow  up  the  ball,  they  kept  bunched  together, 
so  Steve  could  have  played  the  game  about  as  well  if 
there  had  not  been  any  of  the  other  members  of  his 
side  on  the  field. 

His  well-trained  cow-pony  darted  about,  and  Steve 
seemed  to  be  everywhere  at  once.  At  last  Robinson's 
sister,  who  was  in  the  box  next  to  Miss  Parker,  be- 
came so  excited  that,  as  Steve  came  past  again  fol- 
lowing up  the  ball,  she  jumped  up  and  waved  her  hand- 
kerchief, shouting: 

"Stay  with  it,  you  dear  old  cowboy."  And  only 
subsided  when  Mrs.  Van  Rennsler  raised  her  lor- 
gnette and  stared  at  her.    When  the  game  was  ended 

251 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

the  score  was  four  to  one  in  favor  of  the  White  Caps. 

Miss  Parker  Hngered  as  long  as  possible,  half  hoping 
that  Steve  would  come  and  speak  to  her,  but  presently 
Mrs.  Van  Rennsler,  who  thought  she  was  waiting  for 
Reggie,  said: 

*'I  suppose  Reggie  will  meet  us  at  the  side  entrance," 
and  sure  enough  Reggie  was  there.  They  were  soon 
stowed  comfortably  in  his  waiting  automobile,  and  on 
the  way  home.  Reggie  insisted  upon  Miss  Parker  and 
her  aunt  going  home  with  them  for  dinner,  but  to  this 
the  girl  demurred,  and  so  Reggie  left  them  at  their 
door,  with  a  promise  to  return  a  little  later  and  take 
them  to  the  theater.  He  had  said  nothing  about  Steve, 
and  Miss  Parker  did  not  question  him,  although  she 
was  puzzled  to  account  for  his  presence  in  Boston. 

The  members  of  the  winning  team  agreed  to  meet 
and  have  dinner  together,  and  Robinson,  in  spite  of 
the  pain  in  his  arm,  which  was  not  broken,  as  they 
had  at  first  thought,  accompanied  them.  When  they 
were  all  seated  in  the  cafe,  they  began  talking  over  the 
points  of  the  game,  and  all  united  in  according  to  Steve 
the  honor  of  having  saved  the  day,  and  won  the  game ; 
so  they  called  for  a  bottle  of  champagne  to  celebrate 
the  victory  and  drink  his  health. 

After  they  were  through  eating,  they  decided  to  go 
to  the  theater,  and,  as  luck  would  have  it,  selected  the 
play  which  Miss  Parker  and  Reggie  had  decided  upon. 
They  arrived  late,  but  the  confusion  of  their  entrance 
was  covered  by  the  music  of  the  orchestra,  which 
stopped  as  the  curtain  went  up  on  the  first  act,  just 
as  they  were  being  seated.  Steve  at  once  gave  his  at- 
tention to  the  stage,  and  did  not  look  about  him  until 
the  curtain  went  down  and  the  lights  flasned  out,  light- 
ing up  the  theater. 

His  attention  was  attracted  to  the  opposite  box  by 
252 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

seeing  that  a  number  of  people  were  leveling  their 
opera  glasses  in  that  direction.  He  stared  for  a  mo- 
ment, and,  with  a  start  recognized  Miss  Parker,  who, 
with  Mrs.  Van  Rennsler,  was  sitting  well  forward  in 
their  box,  with  her  aunt  and  Reggie  behind  them.  It 
was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  seen  her  in  evening  dress, 
and  he  gazed  as  if  spellbound. 

"Well,  I  knew  she  was  beautiful,"  said  he;  "but  I 
did  not  know  she  was  as  lovely  as  that.  What  a  fool  I 
was  to  think  that  a  girl  like  that  would  ever  be  content 
to  live  on  a  ranch  and  wear  ginghams  and  calicoes.  I 
don't  wonder  that  Reggie,  with  his  millions,  looked 
g^ood  to  her." 

Presently  she,  feeling  his  gaze,  turned  and  saw  him 
in  the  opposite  box.  She  blushed  in  confusion  and 
then  inclined  her  head  in  a  stiff  little  bow,  which  he 
returned  just  as  stiffly.  And  it  was  thus  that  these 
two,  who  a  few  short  months  before  thought  they  had 
found  heaven  on  the  mountain  top,  greeted  each  other 
across  a  sea  of  heads. 

Mrs.  Van  Rennsler,  whose  sharp  eyes  nothing  es- 
caped, noting  the  blush  and  bow,  turned  her  opera 
glasses  in  that  direction  and  drawled : 

"Oh,  I  see.  The  man  who  substituted  in  the  game 
this  afternoon.    Who  did  you  say  he  was?" 

"I  did  not  say,"  answered  Miss  Parker.  "But  it  is 
a  man  I  met  in  the  West  last  summer." 

"Well,  he  is  an  uncommonly  good  rider,"  observed 
Mrs.  Van  Reinnsler.  "What  is  his  name?  I  should 
like  to  meet  him.  I  thought  I  knew  all  the  members  of 
the  polo  and  riding  clubs.  Reggie,  you  must  bring  him 
round  and  present  him." 

"Oh,  I  say,"  exclaimed  Reggie,  fidgeting  uncomfort- 
ably. "I  do  not  think  he  is  going  to  be  here  very  long. 
He  lives  in  the  West,  don't-cher-know,  and  besides,  you 
can't  expect  me  to  be  very  keen  about  a  fellow  that 

253 


STEVE  OP  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

caused  me  to  come  such  a  cropper  this  afternoon;" 

"Humph!"  grumbled  his  mother,  to  whom  opposi- 
tion was  like  a  red  flag  waved  in  the  face  of  a  bull; 
"Why  don't  you  learn  to  ride,  then,  and  you  wouldn't 
fall  off  your  horse  every  time  any  one  bumped  into 
you.  But  never  mind.  If  he  is  not  going  to  be  here 
long,  perhaps  it  isn't  worth  while."  And,  much  to  Miss 
Parker's  relief,  the  matter  was  dropped. 

Reggie  hovered  over  Miss  Parker  like  a  moth  about 
a  flame,  and  as  Steve  noted  it,  suddenly,  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  he  knew  what  it  was  to  hate,  and  with 
its  coming  there  surged  through  him  again  the  spell 
of  his  old  love,  which  Miss  Little  had  lulled  to  sleep, 
but  not  killed.  And  as  the  contest  raged  in  his  heart, 
he  clenched  his  teeth  and  almost  groaned  aloud. 

He  knew  now  that  there  was  no  hope,  and  that  he 
would  never  love  any  girl  but  this  one  who  sat  before 
him,  and  with  that  knowledge  came  the  fierce  desire  of 
the  primitive  man — to  kill  this  puny  weakling  who  was 
trying  to  rob  him  of  his  rightful  mate. 

Shoving  his  chair  back  so  that  he  was  partially 
shielded  by  the  curtains  of  the  box,  his  hand  instinct- 
ively sought  the  place  where  his  revolver  ought  to  be, 
and,  not  finding  it,  reason  reasserted  itself.  However, 
as  Reggie  again  bent  over  Miss  Parker's  chair,  unable 
to  stand  the  sight  any  longer,  Steve  excused  himself  to 
the  others  in  the  box,  and  left  the  theater. 

He  wandered  around  the  city  for  a  while,  and  then 
going  to  the  stable  where  he  put  the  horse  he  was  rid- 
ing the  last  part  of  the  game,  he  started  homeward. 

The  liveryman,  seeing  how  the  horse  shied  as  Steve 
tried  to  lead  him  out  of  the  bam,  remarked : 

"You  had  better  leave  him  here  all  night.  He  acts 
like  he  isn't  used  to  the  city  and  may  cause  you 
trouble." 

"I  would  leave  him,  only  a  party  is  comin'  out  to 
look  at  him  in  the  morning,  and  I  wouldn't  have  time 

254 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

to  come  in  after  him  before  he  gets  there.  That  is 
why  I  rode  him,  but  the  party  could  not  try  him  out 
here  in  town,  and  wanted  to  see  him  on  the  field. 
Guess  we  can  make  it,  all  right.    So  long." 

As  he  went  along,  the  horse  started  and  pranced  at 
every  sound  or  shadow.  Each  hydrant  or  waste-paper 
can  was  in  his  estimation  some  fearful  monster  that 
was  ready  to  spring  out  and  get  him,  but  Steve  held  a 
steady  rein  and  talked  soothingly,  and  soon  he  quieted 
down  somewhat.  At  that  Steve  relaxed  some  of  his 
caution  and  fell  to  brooding  over  seeing  Miss  Parker 
at  the  theater,  and  was  completely  lost  to  time  or  place 
when  suddenly,  out  of  a  side  street,  came  a  motorcycle, 
and  shot,  puffing  and  snapping,  just  behind  the  horse's 
heels.  He  jumped,  and,  taking  the  bit  between  his 
teeth,  bolted. 

The  theater  was  out,  and  Reggie  had  left  his  mother 
at  their  home,  and,  with  Miss  Parker  by  his  side,  was 
going  slowly  along,  in  no  hurry  to  reach  his  destina- 
tion. The  girl  was  making  no  effort  to  talk  or  be  en- 
tertaining, and  Reggie,  left  to  himself,  was  thinking 
blissfully  that  in  a  short  while  he  would  have  this  girl 
for  his  own,  and  there  would  be  no  more  parting. 

They  were  just  about  to  cross  the  street  when,  all  at 
once,  they  heard  a  clatter  of  iron-shod  hoofs  approach- 
ing along  the  street  to  their  right.  Quick  as  a  flash, 
Reggie  threw  on  more  speed  in  an  attempt  to  make 
the  crossing  before  the  runaway  arrived,  but  just  as 
they  dashed  under  the  arc  light  the  horse  and  rider 
loomed  above  them  for  an  instant,  and  Miss  Parker 
and  the  rider  exchanged  a  flash  of  recognition,  and  she 
exclaimed : 

"It  is  Steve  r 

Steve  pulled  the  horse  back  on  his  haunches  and 
swimg  him  round  in  an  effort  to  avoid  the  car,  but  the 

255 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

horse,  unused  to  pavements,  slipped  in  making  the 
short  turn,  and  both  he  and  his  rider  fell  with  a  thud. 

Reggie  stopped  the  automobile,  and  both  he  and  Miss 
Parker  started  to  run  to  Steve's  assistance,  but  before 
they  could  get  out  of  the  car,  the  horse  was  up  and 
away,  and  Steve,  with  one  foot  wedged  in  the  slender 
steel  stirrup,  and  one  hand  holding  the  reins,  was  car- 
ried along  with  him,  while  the  three  stood  still  in  the 
car  spellbound  with  horror. 

Suddenly  Steve  twisted  himself  over  and  caught  the 
reins  with  the  other  hand,  and  slowly,  surely,  he  was 
pulling  himself  toward  the  saddle,  when  another  auto- 
mobile dashed  around  the  corner  just  ahead,  and  the 
horse,  probably  thinking  that  neighborhood  had  too 
many  fearful  monsters,  abandoned  the  street  and  cut 
across  lots,  brushing  Steve  off  as  he  ran  under  the  low 
branches  of  an  ancient  pine. 

The  other  auto  stopped  and  they  all  started  in  pur- 
suit of  the  fleeing  horse,  and  found  Steve  lying  where 
he  had  fallen,  almost  hidden  by  the  shadows  of  the 
trees.  Finding  that  he  was  unconscious,  they  carried 
him  to  the  waiting  automobiles.  Putting  him  in  the 
tonneau  with  the  aunt,  who  held  him  steady,  they  hur- 
ried home.  After  they  had  carried  him  in  the  house 
and  put  him  on  a  couch,  Reggie  went  in  search  of  a 
physician. 

He  had  hardly  gone  when  Steve  sat  up,  and,  looking 
dazed  for  a  moment,  said  in  answer  to  Miss  Parker's 
protest : 

"Oh,  Fm  all  right.  It  takes  more  than  a  little  bump 
on  the  head  to  kill  a  cowpuncher.  I  thought  you  knew 
that,"  said  he,  with  a  laugh,  for  the  moment  all  remem- 
brance of  their  differences  jolted  out  of  him  by  his 
fall;  and  then,  as  memory  came  back,  the  smile  left 
his  face,  and,  getting  up  and  looking  round  for  his  hat, 
he  said  gravely ; 

m 


BTEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

"I  guess  I  had  better  be  goin*.  I've  troubled  you 
too  much  already."  But,  seeing  that  he  limped  as  he 
tried  to  walk,  both  the  aunt  and  the  girl  protested  so 
vehemently  that  he  finally  sat  down  again. 

Silence  fell  upon  them,  and  the  aunt,  seeing  their 
constraint,  made  some  excuse  and  left  them  alone. 

The  girl  was  the  first  to  recover  her  composure,  and 
broke  the  silence  with  the  remark : 

"I  have  been  consumed  with  curiosity  ever  since  I 
saw  you  this  afternoon.  How  do  you  happen  to  be  in 
Boston,  and  a  member  of  its  most  exclusive  club?" 

Steve  gave  her  a  brief  outline  of  his  reason  for  mak- 
ing the  trip,  and  added  in  conclusion : 

"We  have  abo<.tt  sold  all  the  horses  we  brought 
along,  so  I  guess  I  will  be  leavin'  in  a  day  or  two." 

"Oh,  that  was  the  reason  for  your  coming,"  an- 
swered she.  "When  I  saw  you  to-day,  I  thought  per- 
haps you  were  on  your  honeymoon.  It  is  not  too  late 
to  offer  you  congratulations  on  your  engagement, 
is  it?" 

At  that  Steve's  face  darkened  angrily,  and  he  re- 
plied : 

"No,  nor  I  hope  too  late  for  me  to  offer  you  mine.  I 
must  say  it  didn't  take  you  long  to  change  your  mind, 
one®  you  got  back  East.  Not  that  I  blame  you  much, 
when  you  consider  all  he  has  to  offer  you,  but  it  might 
have  been  a  little  easier  if  you'd  thought  of  that  be- 
fore— ^say  before  we  took  that  campin'  trip." 

As  he  spoke,  Miss  Parker  had  become  more  and 
more  amazed  and  angry,  and,  as  he  paused,  blurted 
out: 

"Well,  I  should  like  to  know  who  changed  their 
mind  first?  It  is  true  I  wrote  you  of  my  mother's  ob- 
jection, but  I  thought  that  at  least  I  was  worth  waiting 
for,  until  something  turned  up,  or  mother  might  have 
changed  her  mind ;  but  instead  of  that  you  come  back 

257 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G^'  RANCH 

at  me  the  very  next  week  with  a  paper  announcing 
your  engagement  to  Miss  Little/' 

"I  came  back  at  you  with  an  announcement  of  my 
engagement  ?  I  never  sent  you  a  paper.  I  never  knew 
it  was  published." 

"Well,  you  at  least  admit  that  you  were  engaged, 
and  the  paper  was  addressed  in  your  handwriting,"  an- 
swered she. 

"Now,  hold  on  a  minute,"  said  Steve,  upon  whom 
light  was  beginning  to  break.  "Let's  get  this  thing 
straight.  You  say  you  received  a  paper  telling  about 
my  engagement  to  Miss  Little,  the  next  week  after 
you  wrote  me.    Was  you  engaged  to  Reggie  then  ?" 

"No,  I  was  not,"  answered  she  indignantly.  "But  I 
was  immediately  afterward." 

"Oh,  I  see,"  said  Steve,  finding  a  reason  for  what 
had  puzzled  him  before.  "I  never  could  understand 
why  you  dealt  me  such  a  hand  as  that."  And  then, 
after  thinking  a  moment,  he  continued : 

"Now,  I  don't  expect  you  to  believe  me,  but  all  I 
can  do  is  to  tell  you  the  truth.  That  article  was  all  a 
joke,  or  what  led  up  to  it  was,  and  whoever  sent  you 
the  paper  must  have  done  so  to  cause  trouble.  There's 
only  one  person  that  I  know  of  who  had  any  interest 
in  sendin'  it,  but  we'll  let  that  go.  They  ain't  done 
so  much  harm  but  what  it  can  be  undone,  if  we  both 
keep  cool,  and  listen  to  reason.  You  know,  don't  you  ? 
that  I'd  wait  for  you  forever  if  I  thought  there  was 
any  chance,  but  it  wouldn't  need  to  be  forever.  I'd  'a' 
found  some  way  round  before  long,  and  will  yet,  if 
you'll  just  tell  me  whether  it  was  receiving  that  paper 
that  made  you  send  me  the  one  sayin'  you  was  goin' 
to  marry  Reggie,"  said  he,  looking  at  her  eagerly  and 
advancing  a  step. 

But  she,  unable  to  answer,  bent  her  head  in  assent, 
and  he,  unmindful  of  the  cause  of  his  limping  a  few 

258 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

minutes  before,  cleared  the  space  between  them  in  two 
long  strides,  and  clasped  her  tightly  in  his  arms,  and, 
more  in  thankfulness  than  in  passion,  pressed  a  kiss 
upon  her  lips. 

Just  then  they  heard  the  approach  of  an  automobile 
and  soon  Reggie  stepped  in,  followed  by  a  stranger. 

From  their  confusion,  Reggie  at  once  realized  there 
was  something  amiss,  and  the  physician's  practiced  eye 
told  him  what  it  was,  and  he  observed : 

*'I  see  my  patient  has  already  recovered.  He  looks 
as  if  he  had  received  a  liberal  dose  of  that  best  of  all 
medicine,  'Happiness,'  and  if  he  has  not  further  need 
of  my  services,  I  will  withdraw." 

'*No,  I  don't  need  you,"  answered  Steve,  grinning 
happily.     "Much  obliged  just  the  same." 

When  the  physician  went  out,  the  three  stood  awk- 
wardly looking  at  each  other,  until  at  last  the  girl 
started  to  explain,  and,  becotning  confused  and  tan- 
gled at  Reggie's  blank  look  of  dismay,  Steve  came  to 
her  rescue,  saying: 

"You  see,  it  was  this  way :  Miss  Parker  and  I  were 
engaged,  and  she,  thinking  I'd  thrown  her  over,  ac- 
cepted you  to  get  even,  and  now,  finding  out  her  mis- 
take, she  wants  you  to  release  her." 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  I  will,"  answered  Reggie,  recov- 
ering his  speech.  "Why,  man,  the  invitations  are  all 
out  and  everything.  It'll  make  me  the  bloomin*  laugh- 
in'-stock  of  the  town.    I  will  not  stand  for  it." 

"Well,  you  can  sit  to  it,  then,"  answered  Steve. 
"You  can't  marry  a  girl  against  her  will."  And  then, 
as  Reggie  began  to  get  abusive,  he  took  him  by  the 
collar  and  put  him  out  of  doors. 

"Now  that's  settled,  we  can  talk."  But  then  the 
aunt,  who  had  heard  the  commotion,  appeared  and 
they  had  to  explain  the  situation  to  her,  and  she  re- 
plied : 

259 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

"Yes,  that's  all  very  well.  But  you  know  how  your 
mother  feels  about  your  marrying  this  man,  and  she  is 
not  likely  to  be  any  more  agreeable  now.  So  what  are 
you  going  to  do?  You  can  not  marry  against  her 
wishes.  The  shock  would  kill  her,  and  you  would 
never  be  happy  from  thinking  about  it.  Your  con- 
science would  always  reproach  you.  If  you  do  not 
want  to  marry  Reggie,  then  you  do  not  have  to,  but 
your  mother  will  be  greatly  disappointed." 

"Well,  I  can  not  help  it,''  answered  the  girl.  "If  she 
will  not  consent  to  Steve  and  I  marrying,  then  we 
can  wait.  As  soon  as  Steve  gets  through  here  we  can 
go  to  New  York  and  perhaps  when-mother  meets  him 
she  will  change  her  mind."  To  this  the  old  lady  shook 
her  head  in  discouragement,  but,  seeing  that  there  was 
no  use  arguing  further,  she  left  the  room. 

The  next  day  Steve  insisted  upon  replacing  the  ring 
Reggie  had  given  her  with  one  he  had  purchased,  and, 
as  Miss  Parker  protested  at  its  size,  which,  while  of 
more  modest  proportions  than  the  one  Reggie  had 
given  her,  was  yet  of  purer  brilliancy,  Steve  justified 
himself  for  the  extravagance  by  saying : 

"Well,  you  see,  you  are  rather  valuable  property, 
and  I  won't  take  any  more  chances  by  turnin*  you  loose 
on  the  range  without  my  brand  on  you.  I  thought  Td 
get  a  good-sized  one  while  I  was  about  it,  so  that  as 
soon  as  any  one  saw  you  they'd  spot  the  ring  right 
away.  I  don't  want  any  other  fellow  thinkin'  you  are 
a  maverick  and  slappin'  his  brand  on  you." 

Their  horses  were  well  advertised  through  the  polo 
game,  so  in  a  few  days  they  disposed  of  the  best  of 
them,  and,  leaving  the  rest  for  Robinson  to  sell,  Steve 
and  Miss  Parker  started  to  New  York  accompanied  by 
the  aunt,  who  thought  it  best  to  go  along,  for  fear  the 
young  people  might  take  a  notion  to  elope  on  the  way. 

26Q 


STEVE  PLAYS  A  GAME  OF  POLO 

After  they  reached  New  York,  and  the  first  excite- 
ment of  their  reconciliation  began  to  wear  off,  woman- 
like, Miss  Parker  began  to  dwell  upon  Steve's  being 
engaged  to  Miss  Little,  and  kept  Steve  busy  explaining 
how  it  happened  and  trying  to  allay  all  jealousy.  At 
last  in  desperation  he  observed: 

"I  guess  it  must  have  been  the  champagne." 

"Well,  you  know  champagne  and  pretty  girls  are  not 
an  unusual  combination,  and  together  they  are  very 
distracting.  How  do  I  know  but  what  you  may  suc- 
cumb again?" 

"Oh,  I'll  swear  off  both,  and,  like  Miss  Little,  only 
make  an  exception  when  you  and  I  celebrate  our  mar- 
riage," agreed  he  with  a  laugh. 

Miss  Parker's  mother  still  remained  firm  in  her  ob- 
jection to  her  daughter  marrying  and  going  to  live  in 
the  West,  so,  with  many  vows  of  constancy  and  prom- 
ises to  investigate  matters  in  future  before  they  jumped 
to  conclusions,  Steve  and  Miss  Parker  parted.  Any 
way,  they  had  the  hope  of  seeing  each  other  at  least 
once  a  year,  for  Steve  and  Robinson  had  found  their 
venture  so  profitable  that  they  intended  to  repeat  it 
every  year.  Then,  too.  Miss  Parker  might  steal  away 
for  a  few  weeks'  vacation  later  in  the  simimer,  and, 
with  this  hope  to  buoy  him  up,  Steve  started  on  his 
homeward  journey,  well  satisfied  with  his  trip  to  the 
East 


?61 


XXIII 
THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HORSE  THIEVES 

When  Steve  readied  home  from  the  East,  he  found 
the  country  in  an  uproar  over  the  depreda- 
tions of  a  band  of  horse  thieves.  Horses  had  been 
so  cheap  for  a  number  of  years  that  no  one  had  thought 
them  worth  stealing,  but  since  the  round-up,  and  so 
many  had  been  sold,  the  price  had  come  up  a  little. 
Then,  too,  the  thieves  were  not  without  some  system 
in  their  stealing,  and  they  evidently  knew  what  they 
were  about,  for  invariably  it  was  a  well  broke  cow- 
pony,  or  a  young  horse  of  good  breed  that  was  taken. 

The  first  thing  Steve  did  was  to  go  out  and  round 
up  his  and  Robinson's  bunch,  and  found  that  three  or 
four  of  the  best  ones  were  missing,  but  whether  they 
had  been  stolen  or  had  strayed  off  the  range  he  could 
not  tell.  And  that  was  the  keynote  of  the  success  of 
the  robbers.  The  horses  ran  on  the  open  range  to  a 
large  extent,  and  even  when  they  were  missed  their 
owners  were  not  sure  but  that  they  had  simply  wan- 
dered off  their  part  of  the  range,  or  had  been  driven 
off  by  some  one  who  w^as  gathering  his  own  horses. 

However,  the  same  day  Steve  arrived  some  strangers 
had  appeared  driving  some  horses  through  Kiowa,  and 
had  stopped  at  the  saloon  for  a  drink,  and  bv  their  very 
boldness  disarming  suspicion.  But  late  tnat  evening 
the  owner  had  ridden  into  town  hot  on  their  trail,  and 
the  ranchers,  at  last  aroused,  commenced  to  organize 
a  posse  to  go  hunt  them. 

Hearing  that  Steve  was  home,  they  sent  him  word, 
262 


THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HOESE  THIEVES 

the  messenger  riding  up  just  at  daylight,  having  left 
Kiowa  some  time  after  midnight 

Steve  was  in  a  quandary.  Upon  inquiry  he  had 
found  that  Blackie  had  been  home  on  a  flying  visit, 
and  he  more  than  half  suspected  that  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  band  of  horse  thieves,  and  for  that 
reason  did  not  like  to  join  in  the  search,  for  fear  he 
would  be  instrumental  in  hunting  him  down. 

Then,  too,  he  wanted  to  see  if  he  could  discover  who 
sent  the  paper  to  Miss  Parker.  He  felt  guilty  about 
being  engaged  to  two  girls  at  the  same  time,  but  if  he 
could  find  out  that  Miss  Little  really  had  sent  it,  then 
that  would  put  a  different  color  on  the  matter. 

He  had  not  written  her  since  he  had  become  recon- 
ciled to  Miss  Parker,  and  he  came  home  by  a  route 
that  did  not  take  him  through  Denver,  so  as  to  avoid 
seeing  her  until  he  had  looked  up  the  matter. 

Now,  ever  since  Steve  had  left  for  the  East,  Miss 
Little  had  been  suffering  from  remorse.  Not  the  re- 
morse of  the  person  who  is  guilty  merely,  but  the  re- 
morse of  a  person  who  is  guilty  and  is  about  to  be 
found  out.  Her  intuitions  told  her  that  Steve  and  Miss 
Parker  would  meet  in  some  way,  and  if  that  happened 
she  was  sure  an  explanation  and  reconciliation  would 
follow.  But  there  was  one  thing,  thought  she,  "they 
will  not  know  who  sent  the  paper,  as  I  disguised  my 
handwriting  perfectly." 

However,  there  is  one  chance  of  detection  which 
criminals  do  not  take  into  consideration,  and  that  is 
that  no  matter  how  well  they  may  cover  up  all  evi- 
dences of  their  crime,  their  minds,  by  dwelling  on  it, 
send  out  waves  of  thought,  which,  finding  lodgment  in 
some  other  mind,  arouses  a  suspicion  of  their  guilt. 

In  olden  times  people  believed  in  dreams  and  visions 
and,  regardless  of  any  proof  to  substantiate  them,  acted 
upon  information  they  received  in  that  manner.    But  in 

263 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

this  day  of  materialism  we  do  not  trust  our  own  in- 
stinct or  intuitions  to  any  great  extent. 

So,  when  Miss  Parker  told  Steve  about  receiving  a 
paper  announcing  his  engagement  to  Miss  Little,  im- 
mediately the  thought  flashed  in  his  mind  that  Miss 
Little  had  sent  it,  but  as  time  went  on,  and  he  saw 
how  difficult  it  would  be  to  prove  it,  he  began  to  have 
doubts.  These  he  wished  to  clear  up  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, for  if  she  was  innocent,  then  he  felt  he  had  done 
(her  a  great  wrong  by  allowing  himself  to  drift  into 
an  engagement  with  her,  when  he  really  loved  another 
girl. 

However,  the  good  of  the  country  demanded  that 
the  thieves  be  hunted  down,  and  if  he  was  sure  that 
Blackie  was  not  with  them,  he  would  be  only  too  glad 
to  help  capture  them.  He  pondered  the  situation  for 
a  moment,  and  seeing  that  the  messenger  was  sur- 
prised at  his  lack  of  enthusiasm,  went  into  the  house 
to  find  his  mother,  and  inquired : 

"Did  Blackie  say  whejre  he  was  goin'  when  he  left  ?*' 

"Yes,  he  said  he  was  going  up  into  Wyoming,"  an- 
swered his  mother.     "Why?'* 

"Oh,  I  just  wondered  if  he  was  going  to  come  home 
pretty  soon.  They  are  gettin'  up  a  posse  to  go  after 
them  horse  thieves,  and  want  me  to  join,  but  there 
ought  to  be  some  one  here  to  look  after  the  hay,"  an- 
swered he,  giving  that  as  an  excuse  for  his  inquiry,  so 
as  not  to  make  his  mother  suspicious. 

"Well,  he  didn't  say  anything  about  when  he  would 
be  back,  but  never  mind  the  hay.  I  guess  the  other 
boys  can  manage.  It  is  time  somebody  went  after 
them,  I  hate  to  see  you  go,  but  if  it  is  your  duty,  why, 
go  ahead.  I  am  not  one  to  keep  my  boys  from  doing 
their  duty,  even  if  my  heart  does  ache  while  they  are 
away."  And,  kissing  him  good-by,  she  bade  him  God- 
speed as  he  started  on  his  dangerous  errard, 

264 


THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HOESE  THIEVES 

When  he  reached  Kiowa,  he  wrote  Miss  Parker  a 
brief  letter  telling  her  he  was  going  up  into  the  moun- 
tains on  business,  and  might  not  be  able  to  write  her 
regularly,  and,  as  a  result  of  his  doubts  as  to  Miss 
Little's  guilt,  he  sent  her  a  short  note  telling  her  that 
he  had  returned  from  the  East  but  could  not  come 
to  see  her  for  a  week  or  so,  and  would  explain  the 
reason  when  he  saw  her. 

Three  detachments  of  men,  all  sworn  in  as  deputies, 
left  Kiowa  that  morning  and  started  scouring  the 
country  in  search  of  the  rustlers.  There  was  much 
conjecture  as  to  who  the  members  of  the  band  were. 
Many  thought  that  it  was  the  same  band  that  had 
been  stealing  cattle,  and,  having  found  that  occupation 
too  dangerous  after  having  been  raided  the  summer  be- 
fore, had  established  headquarters  elsewhere,  probably 
in  the  mountains,  as  horses  are  not  as  hard  to  handle 
as  cattle,  being  able  to  get  over  the  ground  faster. 

Ned  Alton,  who,  from  his  many  camping  trips,  was 
familiar  with  the  mountains  to  the  south,  accompanied 
the  posse  headed  for  that  direction,  and  Steve  joined 
this  party  also. 

As  they  rode  along,  they  inquired  at  every  ranch  and 
of  each  person  they  met,  whether  they  had  seen  any 
one  driving  a  bunch  of  horses,  but  all  day  they  had  re- 
ceived the  same  discouraging  reply.  They  began  to 
think  they  were  on  the  wrong  trail,  when,  hailing  an 
old  man  who  lived  in  a  little  tumbled-down  shack  near 
the  road,  they  put  their  query  to  him. 

**No,  I  ain't  seen  anybody,"  answered  he.  "But  last 
night,  or  this  mornin',  rather — anyway  it  was  after 
midnight,  my  dog  barked  and  run  out  to  the  road  like 
he  was  chasin'  something,  an'  then  I  heard  some  one 
cussin'  and  they  took  a  shot  at  the  dog — ^got  him,  too. 
Guess  he'll  die.    I  got  my  gun  and  looked  out  of  the 

265 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

door,  when  I  heard  him  yelpin'.  It  was  so  dark  I 
couldn't  see  anything,  but  I  could  hear  horses  runnin' 
down  the  road.  They  was  a  lot  of  tracks  along  here 
this  mornin',  but  a  feller  drove  some  cows  past  a  while 
ago,  an'  ye  can't  see  anythin'  but  their  tracks  now," 
added  he  garrulously. 

"Humph !"  said  Ned.  "Wonder  where  they  struck 
the  road?  We  didn't  find  any  tracks  the  way  we 
came." 

"Well,  they  might  'a'  come  out  o'  that  road  that  runs 
right  on  north  from  here.  It  ain't  much  used,  and  they 
might  'a'  figured  it  would  be  safer  as  they  wouldn't  be 
apt  to  meet  anybody  comin'  along  there." 

"They  sure  must  be  headin'  for  the  mountains,"  con- 
tinued Ned  as  they  started  onward.  "They  probably 
travel  at  night,  as  there  are  roads  all  the  way  to  Colo- 
rado Sprmgs,  and  so  they  would  be  in  no  danger  of 
losin'  any  of  their  horses." 

"I  wouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  if  they  hid  in  the 
Big  Trust  Timber  to-day.  Too  bad  we  won't  get  there 
in  time  to  ride  through  it,"  observed  Steve. 

"Yes,  but  I  don't  think  we  will  get  there  before  sun- 
down now,"  replied  Ned,  and  this  supposition  proved 
to  be  correct.  They  made  camp  in  the  same  little 
glade  where  they  spent  the  first  night  when  on  their 
trip  the  fall  before. 

It  was  a  soft  balmy  evening  in  early  June,  and  as 
the  sun  set,  the  mountains  were  clothed  in  changing, 
exquisite  colors,  which  deepened  as  day  grew  dim,  un- 
til the  sky  was  bathed  in  a  glowing  roseate  splendor. 

This  gradually  diminished  and  was  finally  lost  in 
the  inky  blackness  of  a  moonless  night. 

The  tired  cowboys,  as  soon  as  they  had  eaten,  untied 
their  slickers  from  behind  their  saddles,  spread  them 
down  on  the  ground,  and  rolled  themselves  up  in  their 
blankets  to  snatch  a  few  brief  hours  of  sleep  before  the 

2G6 


THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HORSE  THIEVES 

moon  rose,  which  was  due  about  midnight,  and  soon 
they  were  snoring  audibly.  All  but  Steve,  It  was  long 
before  he  could  lose  himself  in  slumber. 

He  lay  and  gazed  at  the  stars  and  listened  to  the 
horses  cropping  the  short  grass  near  by.  As  the 
campfire  died  down,  and  his  eyes  became  accustomed 
to  the  gloom,  he  could  discern  their  dark  bulk  against 
the  horizon.  The  little  glade  brought  back  vividly  the 
other  time  he  camped  there,  and  with  the  swiftness  of 
the  wind,  one  scene  after  another  passed  before  his 
mind's  eye,  until  the  final  triumph  on  the  mountain 
top.  Like  a  true  optimist  he  refused  to  let  his  mind 
dwell  on  the  troublesome  time  which  followed,  and  the 
still  imsolved  problem  of  his  engagement  to  Miss  Lit- 
tle, and  so  he  fell  asleep. 

At  midnight  they  arose  and  saddled  their  horses, 
and,  still  half  asleep,  mounted  and  rode  onward.  The 
authorities  at  Colorado  Springs  had  been  notified,  but 
when  the  posse  arrived,  had  nothing  to  report.  How- 
ever, upon  scouting  around,  they  found  a  party  who 
had  seen  a  bunch  of  horses  similar  to  the  ones  they  de- 
scribed being  driven  toward  the  mountains,  just  about 
daylight,  and  now  convinced  that  their  search  lay  in 
that  direction,  they  started  after  them. 

All  afternoon  they  traveled  along  the  edge  of  a 
mighty  cavern.  From  far  below  came  the  roar  of 
the  torrent  which,  through  countless  ages,  had  worn 
the  granite  bed  to  its  present  depth.  Along  about  sun- 
set, coming  across  a  trail  which  wound  down  the  steep 
sides  and  ended  in  a  little  valley,  they  halted  and  made 
camp  for  the  night,  or  until  the  moon  rose,  as  they 
still  had  a  good  trail  ahead  over  which  they  could 
travel  by  moonlight.  About  noon  they  came  out  upon 
a  large  valley,  and  here  they  found  the  ashes  of  a  re- 
cent campfire,  and  many  tracks  around  the  lake  where 
the  horses  had  drtuik. 

267 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

From  the  distance  to  the  next  camp,  they  judged  that 
the  outlaws  were  pushing  ahead  and,  allowing  their 
horses  scant  time  to  eat  or  rest.  The  posse  was 
forced  to  stop  more  frequently,  as  their  plains-bred 
horses,  unused  to  mountain  climbing,  and  scrambling 
over  fallen  timber  and  loose  rocks,  were  beginning  to 
show  fatigue. 

They  were  surprised  when  they  came  to  the  trail 
leading  up  over  the  divide  to  find  that  the  outlaws  had 
not  taken  it,  but  had  kept  to  the  South.  This  puzzled 
them  for  a  time,  and  then  Ned  remarked : 

"Looks  like  they  was  goin'  the  same  way  we  did 
when  we  went  on  our  campin'  trip.  Wonder  if  there 
could  be  any  one  in  that  gang  that  heard  us  tell  about 
this  part  of  the  country." 

"Might  be,"  said  Steve.  "It  was  talked  over  pretty 
generally.  Looks  like  they  had  laid  out  their  route 
by  our  old  camps." 

It  was  summer  when  they  left  the  prairie,  but  as  they 
went  upward  it  seemed  as  if  the  seasons  were  re- 
versed. Abruptly  they  passed  from  summer  into 
spring.  Birds  flitted  about  among  the  trees,  as  they, 
built  their  nests,  voicing  their  full-noted  mating  songs, 
while  the  mountain  verdure  still  had  a  fresh  green  tint. 
They  rode  through  thick  woods  or  around  mountain 
spurs;  crossing  now  and  then  a  lofty  meadow,  thickly 
sprinkled  with  wild  flowers  of  every  hue,  among  which 
the  beautiful  purple  columbines  predominated. 

Often  they  skirted  the  edge  of  a  turquoise  lake,  or 
gingerly  crossed  a  clear  rushing  stream,  and  as  they 
mounted  higher,  flowers  and  leaves  gave  place  to  buds 
just  opening. 

Being  free  from  all  cynicism,  and  living  close  to  na- 
ture, these  simple  cowboys  love  and  hate  with  greater 
intensity  than  people  leading  a  more  complex  life,  and 
as  he  passed  each  familiar  scene,  the  call  of  spring 

268 


THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HORSE  THIEVES 

found  an  answering  echo  in  Steve's  heart.  When  at 
last  they  came  to  a  high,  cold  region  at  the  foot  of  the 
topmost  peaks,  and  crossed  the  trail  that  led  to  the  top 
of  the  mountain  on  which  he  and  Miss  Parker  had 
plighted  their  troth,  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation 
to  visit  it  again. 

Telling  the  rest  that  he  was  going  to  do  a  little  scout- 
ing on  his  own  account,  he  struck  off  through  the  tim- 
ber in  the  direction  of  their  former  camp,  and  upon 
reaching  it,  tied  his  horse  to  a  tree  and  started  on  the 
rough  climb  to  the  summit.  He  reached  it  all  out  of 
breath  and  stood  for  a  moment  surveying  the  scene  be- 
fore his  gaze  came  back  to  the  valley  at  his  feet.  In- 
stantly he  dropped  like  a  stone  to  the  ground,  and 
crawling  to  the  edge  peered  into  the  depth  below.  Mov- 
ing around  in  the  bottom  of  the  cup-like  basin  were 
four  or  five  men  and  a  number  of  horses.  In  the  center 
near  the  lake  was  a  rough  cabin  built  of  pine  logs  and 
other  signs  of  a  permanent  camp, 

"Hell,  it's  the  camp  of  the  rustlers!"  exclaimed 
Steve.  "If  I  had  a  pair  of  field  glasses  I  could  tell 
who  they  are.  I  don't  believe  they  even  suspect  they've 
been  followed.  I  wonder  where  they  get  over  the 
mountains  ?" 

After  watching  their  movements  for  a  while,  he 
hurried  back  to  camp  to  tell  the  rest  of  the  posse,  and 
the  next  morning  with  the  first  chill  breath  that  her- 
alded the  dawn  they  arose,  and  eating  a  hasty  breakfast 
started  up  the  mountain.  Pausing  at  timber  line,  they 
tied  their  horses  and  climbed  to  the  simimit  to  recon- 
noiter,  arriving  just  at  sunrise. 

The  valley  was  still  in  shadow,  but  while  they 
watched,  the  sun  moimted  higher,  and  as  the  light 
pierced  the  gloom,  one  by  one  the  outlaws  appeared  in 
the  door  of  the  cabin,  and  went  about  their  occupa- 
tions.   One  carried  water  farom  the  lake,  another  built 

269 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'^  RANCH 

a  j5rc  in  front  of  the  house  and  started  breakfast,  while 
others  walked  among  the  horses  as  if  looking  them  over 
and  appraising  them. 

"Quite  a  happy  family,  ain't  they  ?"  observed  Steve. 

"Gee,  I  wish  I  had  a  pair  of  field  glasses,"  said  Ned. 
"But  we'll  just  have  to  wait  until  we  find  a  way 
in,  and  then  make  their  acquaintance,  or  renew  it. 
Wouldn't  be  at  all  surprised  if  we  knew  every  one  of 
them.  There's  five  altogether  and  quite  a  bunch  of 
horses.  They  must  be  doing  a  thrivin'  business.  Sup- 
pose they  take  'em  in  from  this  side  somewhere  and 
then  take  'em  out  on  the  other  side  and  sell  'em." 

"I  wonder  where  they  get  in  at?"  asked  Steve, 

"I  don't  know.  Maybe  over  that  low  place  at  the 
south,  but  that  is  a  long  way  round.  They  sure  couldn't 
take  any  horses  in  round  here," 

Presently  the  posse  made  their  way  back  to  their 
horses,  and  then  commenced  the  tortuous  climb  around 
the  mountains,  searching  for  a  way  into  the  basin. 
Coming  to  a  place  that  was  absolutely  impassable  for 
the  horses,  they  stopped  to  rest  and  talk  over  a  plan. 

"Let's  leave  the  horses  in  this  meadow  here  and  go 
in  on  foot,"  suggested  Steve.  "We  couldn't  take  'em 
in  even  if  we  found  the  trail,  for  we'd  have  to  go  by 
daylight,  then,  and  they'd  be  sure  to  see  us.  Anyhow 
they  might  take  a  notion  to  leave  while  we  was  hunt- 
ing for  it.  Maybe  we  can  find  a  place  where  we  can 
climb  down  by  moonlight  and  take  'em  by  surprise." 

"I  don't  know  where  it  would  be,"  said  Ned.  "Them 
mountains  around  that  basin  look  like  they'd  been  split 
in  two  in  the  middle,  and  the  inner  half  been  sucked 
down  through  a  hole.  They  are  almost  straight  up 
and  down  where  timber  line  starts.    But  we  can  try," 

"Supposin'  our  horses  take  a  sudden  notion  to  stray 
away  while  we're  gone?"  suggested  Ira. 

**Well,  we'll  just  have  to  borrow  one  apiece  from 
270 


THEY  CAPTUEE  THE  HORSE  THIEVES 

the  thieves,"  answered  Steve.    "Gucii  we'll  find  some 
of  ours  down  there." 

Distributing  the  camp  outfit  between  them,  and  un- 
saddling their  tired  horses,  and  turning  them  loose, 
they  all  started  again  toward  the  summit.  Then  spread- 
ing out  they  cautiously  approached  the  tdgt  and  peered 
over,  searching  for  a  safe  place  to  make  the  descent. 
At  last  they  found  a  place  where  the  cliff  went  straight 
down  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet,  and  below  that  was 
a  slanting  wall  of  uneven  boulders. 

They  decided  that  by  tying  their  ropes  around  a 
large  rock  a  little  back  from  the  top,  they  could  let 
themselves  down,  hand  over  hand,  to  the  rough  place. 
But  they  had  left  their  ropes  tied  on  their  saddles,  and 
so  one  of  the  men  hurried  back  to  camp  after  them. 
While  he  was  gone  the  rest  ate  a  hearty  lunch  from 
the  meat  and  beans  they  had  taken  precaution  to  cook 
up  before  abandoning  the  horses,  and  then  amused 
themselves  for  a  time  by  watching  the  rustlers  who 
went  about  their  various  affairs  unsuspectingly. 

Presently,  when  night  hid  the  valley  and  they  caught 
the  gleam  of  lamplight  through  the  cabin  window  and 
door,  the  cowboys  rolled  themselves  in  their  blankets 
and  huddled  close  together  for  warmth,  as  they  did  not 
dare  risk  building  a  camp  fire,  although  the  rarefied  air 
was  very  chill.  Some  dozed  off  to  sleep  before  the 
moon  rose  bright  and  luminous,  making  it  impossible  to 
attempt  the  descent  of  the  mountain. 

Tying  the  ropes  together  they  swung  themselves  over 
the  side  of  the  cliff  which  was  too  sheer  near  the  top 
for  snow  to  stick  to  it,  but  farther  down  it  was  packed 
in  the  rifts  and  made  the  descent  very  dangerous,  as 
there  was  no  knowing  how  deep  they  might  be.  How- 
ever, the  ropes  helped  somewhat,  and  the  work  was 
50  strenuous  it  left  no  time  to  think  of  the  dangers  that 
lay  before  them. 

271 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

At  last  they  reached  timber  line,  and  fortunately 
for  their  purpose  the  mountain  at  that  point  was  only 
sparsely  wooded,  there  being  only  a  few  stunted  pines 
scattered  about  These  hampered  their  progress  but 
little. 

At  the  edge  of  the  valley  they  paused  to  examine 
their  revolvers,  seeing  that  every  chamber  was  loaded, 
and  then  commenced  the  stealthy  approach  toward  the 
cabin.  Suddenly  the  shadows  began  to  lift,  and,  look- 
ing back  over  their  shoulders  they  saw  the  sun  peep- 
ing over  the  mountain. 

"Looks  like  he  was  spyin'  upon  us,"  whispered  Ned, 
who  could  not  forbear  to  joke  even  in  the  face  of  dan- 
ger. 

"Two  of  you  guard  the  window,"  suggested  the 
sheriff,  while  the  rest  of  us  will  go  round  to  the  door." 

The  men  were  all  in  position  and  Steve  was  about 
to  lift  the  latch,  when  a  dog  put  his  nose  out  from 
under  the  house,  and  seeing  the  strangers,  jtunped  out 
and  began  to  growl  and  bark. 

Instantly  the  sheriff  thrust  open  the  door  and  stood 
in  it,  a  revolver  in  each  hand,  shouting  as  the  startled 
outlaws  tumbled  out  of  their  bunks : 

"Hands  up,  boys !  We  have  you  covered.**  And  the 
rustlers,  half-dazed  with  sleep,  stood  up  in  the  dimly 
lighted  room,  looking  longingly  a[t  their  weapons  which 
were  lying  beside  their  boots  or  half  protruding  from 
their  bunks, 

"Step  over  to  the  wall  and  line  up,  commanded  the 
sheriff,  and  as  they  obeyed,  one  of  them  crossed  the 
room  and  stopped  near  the  window.  As  the  light  struck 
his  face,  Steve  half  groaned  out : 

"Blackie," 

At  this  the  outlaw  started  and  the  reason  for  his 
moving  over  to  that  side  lay  revealed     Quick  as  a 

272 


THEY  CAPTURE  THE  HORSE  THIE\TES 

flash  he  jerked  a  revolver  from  the  bunk  behind  him, 
and,  leveling  it  at  Steve,  fired,  saying : 

"Take  that,  damn  ye!"  and  plunged  headlong 
through  the  narrow  window,  carrying  sash  and  ail 
along  with  him.  The  sheriff  fired  as  he  jumped,  and 
running  out  they  found  him  lying  limp  and  helpless 
beside  the  house,  while  Steve  had  cnunpled  down 
where  he  stood. 


273 


XXIV 
FLINT  SENDS  A  TELEGRAM 

In  the  surgical  ward  of  St.  Mary^s  Hospital  at  Colo- 
rado Springs,  lay  the  outlaw  and  his  victim ;  each  rav- 
ing in  delirium,  while  back  and  forth  between  the  cots 
paced  a  sad-faced  mother,  with  clasped  hands,  and  lips 
ever  moving  in  prayer.  Armed  officers  of  the  law- 
guarded  the  bed  which  held  the  tossing,  black  head,  but 
other  than  that  the  visitor  would  have  noticed  no  dif 
ference  in  the  care  the  two  receivd.  The  white-cappe(' 
nurse  tended  both  impartially,  but  if  they  recovered 
one  would  be  welcomed  back  to  health  by  loving  rela 
tives  and  friends,  while  a  dreary  cell  in  the  city  prison 
awaited  the  other. 

For  the  most  part,  the  talk  of  the  two  ran  parallel 
in  tlieir  wanderings.  The  same  scenes  and  same 
friends  stalked  alternately  through  the  minds  of  each, 
and  were  mentioned  in  their  rambling,  one-sided  con- 
versation, which  .sometimes  sank  to  muttered  inco- 
herence, and  then  was  startlingly  clear,  and  through  it 
the  different  natures  of  the  two  lay  revealed.  Steve 
mentioned  with  good-natured  tolerance  the  shortcom- 
ings and  weaknesses  of  his  friends,  while  Blackie 
would  now  and  then  break  out  in  imprecations  against 
Steve  and  the  world  in  general,  which  showed  the  poi- 
son that  had  long  been  working  in  his  soul. 

At  such  times,  Mere  Gardeau  would  clasp  her  hands 
anew,  and  murmur  heart-brokenly :  "My  poor  boys  ! 
Whatever  came  between  them." 

And  then,  as  if  in  answer  to  her  question,  each  be- 
gan babbling  of  their  loves.  With  Steve  it  was  Miss 
Parker's  name  which  was  spoken  in  loving  accents, 

274 


FLINT  SEWDS  A  TELEGRAM 

while  Blackie  was  alternately  breathing  curses  against 
Miss  Little  for  not  preferring  himself,  and  vowing  ven- 
geance upon  Steve  for  coming  between  them.  Then 
at  last,  as  if  accepting  his  lot,  he  exclaimed : 

"Well,  let  her  have  him,  damn  him.  He  has  every- 
thing else,  and  now  he  has  a  scheme  for  sellin'  polo 
ponies  and  gettin'  rich."  Then,  with  a  look  of  cun- 
ning, he  exclaimed : 

"Well,  I  guess  two  can  play  at  that  game.  I  know  a 
scheme  or  two  myself.  Just  a  few  good  pals  get  together 
and  each  work  on  the  side  of  the  range  where  he  ain't 
known,  and  the  trick  is  done.  We  can  soon  have  as 
pretty  a  bunch  of  polo  ponies  as  a  man  could  want, 
and  not  cost  anything  but  a  nimble  use  of  our  wits.'* 

Each  day  some  messenger  would  ride  in  from  Kiowa 
or  Running  Creek  and  inquire  after  the  boys,  and  late 
the  following  Saturday  Ira  and  Flint  came  to  the  hos- 
pital on  the  same  errand.  They  followed  nervously 
after  the  low-voiced  sister  of  mercy  who  guided  them 
through  the  long  corridors  of  suffering  humanity  un- 
til they  came  to  the  room  where  their  friends  lay  toss- 
ing on  their  beds  of  pain.  After  listening  to  their  un- 
conscious ravings  for  a  while,  and  hearing  Steve  men- 
tion the  name  of  Miss  Parker  frequently,  Flint  mo- 
tioned for  Ira  to  come  outside  and  then,  lowering  his 
voice,  he  asked : 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  I  wonder  if  they 
have  telegraphed  her  that  Steve's  been  shot  and  is 
about  to  die?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Ira,  much  puzzled.  "I 
don't  know  what  to  make  of  it,  I  thought  Miss  Little 
and  him  was  engaged." 

"Well,  they  was,  in-there,"  stammered  Flint  "But 
it  all  started  in  a  joke.  He  told  me  all  about  it  at  the 
time,  and  he  just  let  it  go  on  because  he  thought  Miss 
Parker  had  thrown  him  over.    Maybe  they  made  it  up 

275 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

when  he  was  in  New  York.     Anyway  he  don't  seem 

to  be  callin'  for  Miss  Little  any.    I  believe  we  ought 

to  telegraph  her." 

"Well,  go  ahead,  then.    You  do  it  if  you  want  to.'* 
"Well,  you  come  along.    I  don't  want  to  take  all  the 

'sponsibility,  in-there/'  answered  Flint 

Such  is  the  magic  that  lies  in  a  slender  wire  which 
crosses  the  continent,  that,  about  an  hour  later,  Miss 
Parker,  upon  returning  from  delivering  some  of  her 
drawings  to  the  magazine  office,  was  told  by  her  mother 
that  there  was  a  telegram  waiting  for  her. 

"A  telegram  !'*  exclaimed  she.  "I  wonder  what  has 
happened  now?  Somehow,  I  do  not  like  to  receive 
anything  but  letters  since  I  received  that  paper  last 
year  and  thought  Steve  had  sent  it  Where  is  the 
telegram,  mother?" 

"It  is  on  the  table,  somewhere,  Anna  signed  for  it, 
and  put  it  there." 

"Oh,  here  it  is,"  answered  the  girl,  picking  it  up 
and  quickly  tearing  it  open.  Instantly  it  seemed  to  the 
listening  mother,  she  uttered  a  shriek  and  fell  prostrate 
on  the  floor. 

"My  child,  what  is  it?"  called  the  old  lady,  who  was 
sitting  so  she  could  not  see  what  had  happened,  and 
as  she  received  no  answer,  she  turned  her  chair  round 
so  she  could  see  in  the  next  roorti.  When  she  saw 
her  daughter  lying  white  on  the  floor,  suddenly,  with- 
out thinking  of  herself  or  her  helpless  state,  she  arose 
and  tottered  on  shaking  limbs  to  her  assistance. 

Just  then  the  daughter,  who  had  only  fainted,  opened 
her  eyes  and  stared  up  at  the  mother,  who  was  bending 
over  her,  and  then  arose  almost  in  fear. 

"But,  mother,  how  did  you  get  here  alone?"  And 
then,  as  realization  burst  upon  her,  she  cried : 

"But,  mother,  you  have  walked !" 
276 


FLINT  SEm)S  A  TELEGEAM 

And  the  mother,  just  awakened  to  thought  of  her- 
self, sank  back  into  a  near-by  chair,  and  gasped : 

"God  bless  me,  so  I  have."  And  she  looked  about 
as  if  calling  all  the  world  to  witness  the  miracle. 

For  a  moment  they  forgot  the  telegram  in  wonder 
over  this  thing  that  had  befallen  them,  and  then  the 
mother,  in  explaining  how  she  happened  to  do  it,  said : 

"Well,  my  child,  I  saw  you  lying  on  the  floor  appar- 
ently dead,  and  I  wanted  to  go  to  you  and  couldn't, 
so  I  guess  God  performed  another  miracle.  But  what 
caused  you  to  faint?" 

"Oh,  mother.    It's  Steve,  and  he's  been  shot,  and  is 
dying,  and  I  must  go  to  him,"  said  the  girl,  beginning ' 
to  weep. 

"Well,  then,  you  will  not  go  alone.  I  shall  go  with 
you." 

"You,  mother?  But  how  can  you,  helpless  as  you 
are?"  asked  the  girl  through  her  tears. 

"As  I  was,  you  must  say.    Have  I  not  walked.'^" 

"But  can  you  do  it  again  ?" 

"Of  course.  Does  God  perform  a  miracle  to  endure 
only  for  a  day?  I  now  see  my  way  clear;  I  shall  go 
along.  Wire  them  at  once  that  you  are  coming,  and 
find  out  when  the  next  train  leaves."  And  as  her 
daughter,  fearing  that  she  would  overdo,  summoned 
the  family  physician,  who,  like  many  of  his  profession, 
have  reduced  everything  to  a  scientific  basis  and  leaves 
nothing  to  chance  or  God.  He  explained  the  seeming 
miracle  by  saying  that  paralysis  was  often  caused  by 
a  shock  and  was  as  frequently  cured  by  the  same 
means.  When  the  daughter  objected  to  her  mother 
helping  pack,  she  exclaimed : 

"My  child,  if  you  had  sat  still  for  fifteen  years  and 
suddenly  acquired  use  of  your  legs,  don't  you  think  you 
would  want  to  use  them  for  a  while?  I  shall  stand  all 
the  way  to  G>lorado."    And  with  that  the  determined 

277 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G'*  RANCH 

old  lady  went  out  of  the  room,  and  began  collecting 
different  articles  they  would  need  on  their  trip. 

At  ten  o'clock  that  night,  mother  and  daughter  start- 
ed on  the  long  journey  to  the  West.  The  mother 
seemed  to  enjoy  every  minute  of  the  trip,  and  would 
go  out  on  the  platform  of  the  observation  car  and 
stand  by  the  railing  while  she  watched  the  country 
flit  by.  Now  and  then  some  one  who  happened  to  be 
out  there  at  the  time  would  politely  offer  her  a  chair, 
but  it  was  as  politely  refused. 

To  her  daughter,  the  train  seemed  to  be  moving  at 
a  snail-like  pace,  but  at  last  they  reached  their  desti- 
nation, and  found  Steve's  father  and  mother  waiting 
for  them,  and  to  the  anxious  girl  their  presence  at  the 
station  meant  that  there  was  hope. 

From  the  first  it  had  been  noticed  that  the  two 
wounded  men  did  not  have  an  equal  chance  of  recov- 
ery, and  strangely  enough,  it  was  Steve,  who  was  the 
more  severely  woimded  of  the  two,  who  seemed  to  be 
improving  more  rapidly.  This  might  be  accounted 
for  by  the  difference  in  the  life  the  two  had  led  of 
late,  as  Blackie  had  been  drinking  and  dissipating 
steadily  since  he  left  home.  To  the  uneasy  mother 
his  slow  recovery  seemed  a  direct  answer  to  her 
prayers,  as  she  thought  death  for  him  would  be  a  sim- 
ple solution  of  all  his  troubles,  and  save  him  further 
disgrace  and  suffering. 

But  with  Steve  it  was  different.  Perhaps  his  mind 
being  free  from  all  worry  helped.  Anyway,  there  is 
nothing  more  conducive  to  health  than  happiness  and 
hope,  and  after  Miss  Parker  arrived  his  recovery  pro- 
gressed by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  the  physicians  pro- 
nounced him  able  to  be  moved  home  while  Blackie  was 
still  raving  in  delirium. 

278 


XXV 

BLACKIE  ESCAPES 

Blackie  recovered  consciousness  a  few  days  later, 
and  lay  sullenly  gazing  at  the  ceiling.  The  nurse, 
seeing  he  was  in  his  right  mind,  approached  his  bed 
and  said: 

"There  has  been  a  young  lady  inquiring  for  you 
every  day  since  your  people  left.  I  think  she  is  down- 
stairs now,  and  if  she  is,  shall  I  send  her  up  ?" 

"What's  she  like?  Is  it  one  of  my  sisters?  If  it  is, 
tell  'em  to  stay  away.  I  don't  want  any  of  them  sniv- 
elin'  over  me." 

"I  don't  think  it  is  a  sister.  I  think  they  all  went 
away  when  they  took  your  brother  home.  This  girl 
is  very  pretty  and  has  dark  hair." 

"Well,  then,  I  don't  know  who  it  is,  but  show  her 
up.  It's  some  sentimental  fool  that  goes  around  car- 
ryin'  bouquets  to  criminals,  I  suppose." 

The  nurse  disappeared  and  presently  Miss  Little 
timidly  stepped  into  the  door: 

"Well,  what  are  you  doin'  here  ?"  inquired  Blackie, 
never  thinking  it  was  she  who  wished  to  see  him. 
"They  took  Steve  away  several  days  ago." 

"I  know  they  did,"  answered  she.  "I  came  to  see 
you." 

"Came  to  gloat  over  me,  I  suppose.  Well,  it  is  large- 
ly your  work — playin'  with  a  man  until  you  drive  him 
to  the  devil.  But  you  have  your  just  deserts.  I  hear 
Steve  and  Miss  Parker  are  goin'  to  marry,  and  you  got 
left  in  spite  of  all  your  schemin'." 

279 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G''  RANCH 

"I  kn€w  that  long  ago,"  answered  she  shortly,  her 
temper  beginning  to  rise.  "But  that  isn't  what  I  came 
to  see  you  about.  I've  been  nearly  crazy  ever  since  I 
heard  about  you  and  Steve  being  all  shot  up,  and  about 
to  die.  And  now  you'll  be  sent  to  jail,  and  mother 
says  it  is  all  my  work,"  replied  the  girl,  beginning  to 
weep.  "I  feel  so  sorry.  I  wish  I  could  do  something 
to  prevent  it." 

**Well,  I  don't  know  what  you  can  do,"  observed 
Blackie  gloomily,  **While  there's  generally  a  woman 
back  of  most  of  the  devilment  that  a  man  does,  it  is 
always  the  man  who  has  to  take  the  medicine,  and  the 
woman  weeps  a  few  tears,  and  then  consoles  herself 
with  some  other  fellow,  while  he  swallows  the  dose." 

"Well,  maybe  that's  so,  but  if  they  all  worried  as 
much  as  I  have  they  would  never  do  it  again.  I  have 
thought  and  thought,  trying  to  find  some  way  to  get 
you  out,  but  so  far  I  have  not  found  a  plan." 

"Well,  if  you  don't  then  there's  no  hope,"  answered 
Blackie.  "For  I  don't  know  anybody  tiiat  can  come 
up  to  you  for  schemin'." 

"Well,  I  will  keep  on  trying,  and  will  come  and  see 
you  every  day,  if  you  wish.  I  should  like  to  make 
amends  in  some  way.  I  have  been  so  sorry  ever  since 
you  went  away.  If  you  had  only  stayed  a  little  longer 
you  would  have  found  out  that  Steve  and  I  were  only 
joking  that  Thanksgiving  night." 

"Oh,  come  off!"  answered  Blackie  roughly.  "Steve 
may  have  been  jokin',  but  you  meant  it,  all  right,  even 
if  you  were  too  clever  to  let  on.  I  know  you  like  a 
book." 

"Well,  if  you  know  me  so  well,  I  don't  see  how  you 
can  pretend  it  is  love  for  me  that  drove  you  to  the 
bad,"  snapped  she. 

"That  is  all  right.  You  and  me  are  two  of  a  kind, 
and  it's  that  spice  of  the  devil  in  you  that  makes  me 

280 


BLACIOE  ESCAPES 

love  you.  I  always  liked  a  horse  that  was  hard  to 
manage.  Kept  me  interested.  But  it  was  your  playin' 
with  me  that  made  me  desperate,  although  I  don't  pre- 
tend I  was  any  saint.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  you 
had  eyes  only  for  Steve,  you  couldn't  let  me  alone,  and 
every  time  you  saw  me  sheerin'  off  in  self-preservation 
you'd  coax  me  back  again.  You  only  feel  sorry  now 
because  I'm  about  to  go  to  jail,  and  you  sort  of  feel 
responsible.  But  if  I  was  free  you  wouldn't  marry  me 
even  now,  for  all  your  remorse."  And,  as  the  thought 
took  possession  of  him,  he  exclaimed : 

"If  you'd  say  you  would,  I'd  get  free.  All  hell 
couldn't  hold  me." 

*'Well,  I  won't  say  it,  because  if  I  did,  then  you'd 
do  something  desperate.  You  wait,  perhaps  I  can  find 
some  way,  and  then,  if  I  can,  we  will  talk  about  matri- 
mony, and  now  I  mustn't  stay  any  longer,  as  that  offi- 
cer may  be  coming  back." 

"How  did  he  happen  to  stay  away  so  long,  I  wonder? 
He  usually  sticks  to  me  like  a  leach." 

"Well,  the  nurse  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  he  is  in 
love  with  her,  see?" 

"Yes,  I  see.  What  is  it  a  woman  can't  do,  anyhow? 
From  gettin'  a  man  shot  to  corruptin'  the  police.  Go  on 
with  your  plannin',  I  guess  I  am  as  good  as  out  now." 

"Well,  you  must  not  get  well  too  fast.  You'll  have 
to  play  sick  until  you  are  strong  enough  to  travel  so 
you  will  not  get  a  backset,  if  I  do  get  you  out."  And 
with  that  she  blew  him  a  kiss  and  left  the  room. 

"The  little  devil,"  said  Blackie  admiringly.  "The 
next  time  she  comes,  I'll  make  her  make  that  kiss 
good."  And  then  the  nurse  came  in  and,  noting  his  ex- 
citement, gave  him  a  sedative  and  soon  he  was  fast 
asleep. 

Days  merged  into  weeks,  and  the  weeks  into  a 
month,  with  Blackie  still  in  bed,  feigning  a  weakness 

281 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

he  did  not  feel;  waiting  to  gain  strength  to  carr}^  out 
a  plan  that  Miss  Little  had  at  last  concocted. 

At  last,  as  the  time  approached,  he  began  to  get  rest- 
less, and  Miss  Little,  noticing  his  moody  looks,  in- 
quired what  was  the  matter.  For  reply,  Blackie  caught 
hold  of  her  hand  and  drew  her  to  him  with  more  en- 
ergy than  a  sick  man  was  expected  to  display  and  said : 

'Xook  here,  I  don't  trust  you.  Once  I  am  out  of 
here,  if  I  ever  get  out,  you'll  lose  all  your  remorse, 
and  never  come  to  me  as  you  promise.  I  know  you.  It 
is  the  thing  you  can't  get  that  interests  you.  That's 
why  you  always  wanted  Steve,  and  wouldn't  look  at 
me.  You  knew  he  didn't  care  for  you  and  I  did.  Try- 
in'  to  get  me  out  keeps  you  scheming  now,  but  when 
that  is  over  you  will  soon  forget.  And  now  I  am  com- 
in'  to  the  point :  I  will  not  take  a  step  unless  you  marry 
me  beforehand. 

"If  that  plan  of  yours  will  work  at  all,  it'll  work  for 
two  as  well  as  one,  in  fact,  better.  To-morrow,  when 
the  priest  comes,  you  and  I  get  married,  or  if  not  I'll 
get  up  and  let  them  see  that  I  am  well,  and  they  can 
take  me  to  jail.  I  am  goin'  to  ask  that  officer  to  get 
me  a  license  when  he  goes  off  duty." 

And  Miss  Little,  liking  his  masterfulness,  consented, 
and,  true  to  her  promise,  appeared  the  next  morning, 
and  she  and  Blackie  were  married  by  the  priest,  while 
the  sisters  and  nurses  gathered  round.  The  officer,  as 
if  unwilling  to  intrude  an  unpleasant  feature,  kept  well 
in  the  background. 

Blackie,  the  blood  leaping  In  his  veins,  with 
difficulty  played  the  part  of  a  half-dying  man,  which 
was  supposed  to  be  his  role.  Restraining  himself 
with  a  mighty  effort  he  sank  back  on  the  bed  when  the 
ceremony  was  over,  as  if  exhausted,  while  the  nurse 
who  was  in  the  plot  hurried  all  spectators  away,  and 
she  and  the  officer  discreetly  withdrew  for  a  few  mo- 

2S2 


BLACKIE  ESCAPES 

ments,  leaving  the  newly  wedded  pair  alone.  As  soon 
as  the  door  closed  behind  them,  Blackie  raised  up  in 
bed,  and  straining  her  to  him  in  a  passionate  embrace, 
exclaimed : 

"So  the  black  sheep  has  won  you  at  last"  And 
then,  as  if  he  had  been  softened  by  his  recent  expe- 
riences, he  said: 

"But  111  try  and  do  the  square  thing  from  now  on, 
and  if  we  get  out  of  this,  I  will  be  the  whitest  'black 
sheep'  that  ever  lived/' 

That  night  the  officer  began  to  feel  tmaccountably 
drowsy,  and,  telling  the  nurse  that  he  must  have  drunk 
too  much  wine  celebrating  Blackie's  marriage,  he 
started  to  walk  up  and  down  the  hall.  She  followed 
him,  and  sitting  down  on  the  long  bench,  suggested: 

"Oh,  you  are  not  sleepy,  you  just  imagine  it  Come 
and  sit  down  beside  me  and  perhaps  I  might  give  you 
that  kiss  you  have  been  teasing  me  for  so  long." 

"All  right ;  I  guess  that  will  wake  me  up  if  anything 
wilt"  And  for  the  time  it  did,  but  the  nurse  knew 
her  business.  The  opiate  she  had  put  in  his  wine 
was  no  mild  one,  and  soon  he  was  sleeping  soundly. 

From  Blackie's  room  there  could  be  heard  a  smoth- 
ered conversation.  Miss  Little,  already  dressed  in  the 
costume  of  a  sister  of  mercy,  which  the  nurse  had 
procured  for  her,  was  helping  Blackie  put  on  a  similar 
costume,  belonging  to  one  of  the  nurses  who  was  un- 
usually tall  and  robust. 

"Gee,  I  feel  like  a  fool  in  all  these  rags,  and  must  I 
keep  that  thing  over  my  face?  Ill  smother.  Loosen 
up  that  choker  a  little.  Sister  Qeote  must  be  pretty 
sizable,  all  right,  if  she  wears  these  togs,  but  this  busi- 
ness about  the  face  is  too  tight  for  me.  I  am  awful 
glad  nuns  dont'  wear  corsets  or  I  would  balk." 

Presently  they  were  ready  and  started  down  the 
dimly  lighted  corridor.    Miss  Little  longed  to  ptiU  the 

283 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

tlxidk  veils  across  their  faces  at  once,  but  did  not  dare, 
for  fear  of  arousing  suspicion.  They  glided  to  the 
stairway  and  were  starting  down,  when  the  nurse  on 
night  duty  in  the  otiier  corridor,  noticing  the  large 
sister,  exclaimed: 

"There  goes  Sister  Qeote,  I  must  speak  to  her,"  and 
started  to  hurry  after,  but  Miss  Little  with  great  pres- 
ence of  mind,  motioned  her  back,  whispering : 

"Don't  interrupt  us.  We  are  in  a  hurry."  And  the 
nurse  used  to  obeying,  went  back  to  her  duty,  un- 
suspectingly. 

At  last  they  were  on  the  street,  and  Blackie  straight- 
ened himself,  drawing  a  deep  breath  of  fresh  air, 
muttering : 

"That  was  a  close  shave.  You  are  a  clever  littie 
gm, 

"Hush,  you  must  not  speak,  your  voice  will  give 
us  away.  You  must  remember  we  are  under  the  ban 
of  silence.  Sisters  are  often  punished  that  way,  and 
when  we  come  to  the  light  we  will  pull  these  thick 
veils  over  our  faces,  and  no  one  will  be  at  all  sur- 
prised, or  suspicious.  All  we  have  to  do  is  to  keep 
still,  and  hide  our  faces.  Steve  is  just  arotmd  the 
comer  with  a  cab,  waiting  for  us," 

"Steve!"  exclaimed  Blackie  holding  back.  ''How 
did  he  come  to  be  there  .'^    He  may  give  us  away." 

"How  can  you  be  so  ungenerous.  You  know  Steve 
would  not  do  any  such  thing.  You  must  know  that 
it  takes  money  to  travel,  especially  when  one  is  run- 
ning away  from  justice,  and  as  I  did  not  have  suffi- 
cient, and  could  not  get  any  without  telling  what  I 
wanted  to  do  with  it,  I  went  to  him,  as  he  was  the 
only  one  I  cotdd  trust  He  offered  to  come  and  help 
us  off,  and  it  is  lucky  he  did  as  he  is  impersonating 
the  cabby,  and  so  we  can  get  to  the  station  without 
any  one  seeing  us," 

284 


BLACEIE  ESCAPES 

A  plain-clothes  man  sauntered  past  just  as  Acy 
reached  the  cab,  but  seeing  it  was  waiting  for  the 
two  sisters  of  mercy,  walked  on  as  Steve  jumped  down 
off  the  box  and  respectfully  held  open  the  door  for 
them  to  enter. 

When  they  reached  the  depot  Steve  thrust  an  en- 
velope containing  two  tickets  and  a  roll  of  bills  into 
Blackie's  hand,  and  as  he  did  so,  Blackie  took  his  hand 
and  said: 

"It  is  sure  mighty  white  of  you  to  do  this,  and  I 
will  never  forget  it" 

"Nor  will  I,"  echoed  Miss  Little, 

"That  is  all  right,"  said  Steve,  "We  will  forget 
and  forgive,  but  you  folks  had  better  hurry,  or  you 
will  miss  your  train.  I  reserved  a  whole  section  in 
the  sleeper,  so  as  to  be  sure  no  one  will  bother  you* 
You  had  better  keep  right  on  until  you  get  across  the 
border  into  Mexico,  as  then  you  will  be  safe," 

And  that  is  the  last  of  Blackie  and  Miss  Little, 
Now  and  then  as  they  traveled  onward,  some  one 
noticing  the  two  sisters  of  mercy,  who  sat  so  quietly 
in  the  Pullman,  and  in  spite  of  the  heat,  kept  the 
thick,  black  veils  of  their  order  pulled  over  their  faces, 
would  approach  and  speak  to  them,  but  the  smaller 
would  always  hand  them  a  little  slip  on  which  was 
written : 

"We  are  under  the  ban  of  silence,"  and  the  curious 
stranger  would  leave  them  alone,  marveling  at  such 
faithfulness  and  devotion  to  duty. 

The  next  evening  as  Steve  and  Miss  Parker  sat  out 
on  the  porch  loolang  off  at  the  mountains  and  talk- 
ing of  tibe  camping  trip,  and  subsequenet  events  that 
had  indelibly  impressed  that  part  of  the  range  on 
their  minds  and  hearts,  Steve  said : 

"I  am  afraid  we  will  have  to  change  the  plan  for 
oar  honeymoon,  and  go  somewhere  else,  as  I  do  not 

285 


STEVE  OF  THE  "—  G"  RANCH 

believe  I  ever  want  to  see  that  basin  or  mountain 
again.  And  by  the  way,  when  is  that  honeymoon  goin' 
to  come  off.  I  have  been  afraid  to  mention  it  before 
for  fear  your  mother  might  get  scared  and  take  you 
away." 

"I  do  not  know.  We  will  have  to  see  what  she 
says.  I  do  not  believe  she  will  oppose  it  much,  as 
she  seems  to  like  the  West." 

"Well,  if  you  can  take  me  along,  you  can  have  your 
honeymoon  right  away,"  answered  the  old  lady,  who 
had  come  out  on  the  porch  without  them  hearing  her. 
"I  am  just  crazy  to  go  up  in  those  mountains.  I 
have  sat  in  a  chair  and  looked  up  for  so  long  that  I 
would  like  to  build  me  a  house  on  the  top  of  the  high- 
est peak,  and  look  down  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  As 
you  will  not  need  a  trouseau  for  a  camping  trip,  you 
can  get  married  right  away.  The  cool  mountain  air 
will  do  Steve  good.  And  now  kiss  me  both  of  you 
and  say  that  mother  is  not  as  unreasonable  as  you 
thought  I  was.  I  am  so  happy  since  I  can  walk  that 
I  want  to  see  every  one  else  happy." 

Just  as  she  finished  speaking  Flint  came  galloping 
up,  and  hastily  dismounting  asked : 

"Have  you  folks  heard  the  news  ?"  and  without  wait- 
ing for  their  reply,  he  blurted  out : 

"What-you-may-call-it-in-there,  Blackie  has  escaped 
and  they  are  huntin'  high  and  low  for  him.  The  nurse 
drugged  the  policeman  that  was  guardin*  him,  and 
while  he  was  asleep,  Blackie  hiked  out.  Don't  know 
where  he  is  gone.  They  can't  find  Miss  Little  either, 
or  rather  Blackie's  wife,  in-there.  They  was  married 
last  Sunday,  and  I  guess  they've  gone  away  together." 

When  he  started  to  speak  Steve  and  Miss  Parker 
exchanged  a  knowing  look,  but  both  endeavored  to 
act  as  surprised  as  the  rest  at  the  news. 

"Well,  if  that  is  the  case  they'll  never  catch  hira," 
286 


BLACK3E  ESCAPES 

stated  Steve  with  conviction.  "For  you  can  bet  she's 
fixed  up  some  plan  that  will  get  them  through  all 
right." 

"Well,  I  hope  so,"  exclaimed  Mere  Gardeau,  ferv- 
ently.   "I  hope  they'll  never  catch  him." 

"Well,  I  guess  they  will  not  try  very  hard,  in-there," 
said  Flint,  "now  that  Steve  is  gettin'  well.  If  he  had 
died,  tlien  it  would  a-been  more  serious,  but  they've 
still  got  Bradley  and  them  three  other  fellows,  and 
that  satisfies  them.  So  I  guess  they  will  let  Blackie 
^o.  They  ain't  put  up  any  reward  for  his  capture, 
ft  seems  that  they  are  goin'  to  prosecute  Bradley  here, 
and  send  the  others  back  across  the  divide.  They 
are  wanted  on  that  side  for  some  crime,  and  the  author- 
ities here  are  only  too  glad  to  let  'em  have  'em,  and 
save  the  County  the  expense  of  prosecutin'  them." 

A  few  days  later  the  Altons,  Steve,  Miss  Parker  and 
her  mother  all  went  to  Colorado  Springs,  where  the 
young  couple  were  married,  and  they  all  started  on 
another  camping  trip.  Rather  a  long  procession  for 
a  honeymoon,  the  reader  will  think,  but  evidently  the 
lovers  did  not  find  it  any  hindrance,  for  Ned  was  heard 
to  remark  when  he  returned,  that: 

"If  the  Lord  would  forgive  him  this  time,  he  would 
never  take  another  couple  on  their  honeymoon.** 


END 


287 


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